The 5 Friends Every Woman Needs in Her 40s and 50s

Who says your best friendship-finding days are over by the time you hit 40? There’s no rule that says you have to have met “your people” by midlife. In fact, it often couldn’t be further from the truth.

“I met my best friend when I was 42,” says Sheila T., 50, from Minneapolis, Minnesota. “We took art classes together, and we just clicked. I already had longtime friends, but I felt like Lois ‘got me’—the 42-year-old me, who wanted to explore new things.”

Finding activities that you can participate in regularly—from choir to Zumba classes — is a great way to make new friends, says Los Angeles-based psychologist Sheila Forman, Ph.D., who has spent decades of her practice focused on families and relationships. “Put yourself in places you enjoy—often,” she says. “Just like when we were young and we saw the same friends every day in school, now it’s time to participate regularly in activities where you can meet new friends. Proximity leads to familiarity, which can lead to friendship.”