How to make friends as a senior

How to make new friends as a senior citizen:

Any age is the perfect age to make new friends.

As human beings, we are social creatures that will always yearn for that feeling of companionship. This feeling doesn’t pass with age, it only grows as the individuals does too. It’s important to note that there is also a difference between the wanting for companionship and the need for self-independence because it is easy to be content in the comfort of your own company. Some people find peace in solitude, but it can also mean a barrier to making new friends.

Why is it hard to make friends as you get older?

As a senior, there are many more obstacles when trying to make friends, but that doesn’t mean it should stop you from attempting to find companionship as you age. The pandemic was a huge obstacle that has made it became increasingly challenging to maintain old friendships or make new ones, with lockdown forcing people to feel more isolated than ever.

Please read on to better understand ways you could find new connections in your local area and how this can benefit your health.

What are the benefits of a better social life?

There is always new research suggesting that staying social as you get older has numerous mental and physical benefits to the human psyche. For example, a new study found that ‘60-year-olds who visited friends almost daily’ were ‘12% less likely to develop dementia than those who only saw 1-2 friends every few months.’ The National Institute of aging links research on social isolation and loneliness to higher risks of; ‘high blood pressure, heart disease, obesity, depression, cognitive decline, Alzheimer’s disease & more.’ There are many other actions that can be taken to decrease the risk of all the above but continuing to be sociable is a great was to benefit your health when used alongside other remedies.

Ways to make friends:

Volunteer

Creating structure through a routine could be the first step toward an unconscious effort to make friends on a more casual basis. Creating connections with others is easily done when you’re interacting with individuals through a routine, such as volunteering somewhere local. Any knowledge that you’ve learned over the years could be used to teach others and interact with them on a day-to-day basis. If you are artistic, volunteer at a local art club, or if you just fancy giving back to the community then why not find a charity close to your heart and offer to volunteer for them.

Find a new Hobby

Finding something new to love can fill time very easily, bringing joy to yourself and the people you meet along the way. If you have a desire to learn something new, get out there and meet others who like to do the same, and find a common interest with.  There are a lot of places online where you can sign up to find a new hobby. Whether you’ve always fancied trying out pottery or archery there are plenty of local groups you can find online to help you get going. Platinum Skies is proud to boast the number of activities and events going on around each development, which homeowners can enjoy at their own leisure, depending on ability and preference.

Travel

Seeing new places you may not have visited before will encourage interactions with others. A lot of our Platinum Skies homeowners are proud to be active and are able to use their savings from moving into one of our homes to travel to see friends and family. Travelling exposes you to different cultures and the opportunity to make connections with others that you may not have been able to otherwise. A good way to meet others abroad would be by looking at group activities at the hotel you’re staying at, carpooling for local outings, or even the old-fashioned way of just going up to someone by the pool!

Embrace social media

For individuals that are homebound or cannot get out and about easily, there are still so many online tools for people to stay connected with family and friends. There are endless groups on social media, in which you could be a part of and get interactive with all the other like-minded individuals that think like you do. For those that are wary of technology, there is always someone who could help. At our Platinum Skies developments, our Community Managers can help sort you out with the tools to live life the way you want to. Or even get a younger relative to help, they are the ones who probably know the most about the latest, online trends!

Websites such as ‘The Joy Club’, aim to make the most of your retirement living.

See how you can make friends at one of our Platinum Skies Communities… and book in a tour to see what life could be like with other, like-minded individuals looking for companionship!