How to Feel Less Anxious About Making Friends as an Adult

When we were kids, making friends was easy. You'd sit next to someone at lunch or on the school bus and, boom, you were buddies. But once we outgrow homeroom and become adults, making new friends can be especially difficult.

But, experts say, overcoming the challenges to forging friendships later in life is key to sustaining our health and happiness as we age. Research published by the journal Innovation in Aging states that keeping friends close alleviates loneliness, creates social support, and wards off the negative physical and psychological effects of isolation.

If you’ve been feeling lonely, lost touch with friends, or you simply want to expand your social circle, these strategies will help you scrap social awkwardness and anxiety and be well on your way to making a new friend (or two!) in no time.