Studies by many different universities and health organizations have shown that the #1 indicator of happiness is the strength of your relationships.
Losing contact with friends and former co-workers is very common for retirees.
Use this simple 3 step method to start building your new social network today!
Step 1: Start Where You Are
Identify your current social network.
Make a list of the people you already know that you would like to expand your current relationship with. These could be family members, co-workers, neighbors etc. Anyone you have a social connection with that you find interesting.
Once you have your list, prioritize it.
Who do you want to get to know first? Second? Third?
Step 2: Reach Out
Reach out to the first person on your list. It is best if you can plan to do something together that you both enjoy, a shared interest.
If you don’t already share an interest you can:
- Ask them to lunch or grab coffee
- Go to a movie
- Go for a walk at a local park
- Go to a local museum
- Any activity that will give you time together
Send an email, pick up the phone and call or contact them through social media – whatever works best for you is fine.
Continue to do things together over time to build a lasting relationship.
Step 3: Repeat
Repeat steps 1 and 2 as necessary until you have established the social network that you want.
This can be the hardest step because it requires consistent focus. Meaningful relationships are not built with one interaction and a larger social network will also take time.
Tips
While the process is only 3 steps it will take time to build the social network you want – and that network will change over time so you are never really done.
Here are some tips to help make the process easier:
- 1. Only reach out to or 2 people at a time to avoid becoming overwhelmed
- 2. Identify common interests for the first couple of activities whenever possible – you will discover other things to do together as the relationship grows.
- 3. Don’t feel discouraged if something doesn’t happen right away – building relationships takes time.
- 4. Don’t be afraid to back away from building a relationship if it turns out you don’t really have anything in common after all.
- 5. Accept invitations from other people – it doesn’t all have to come from you.
