Content

• Steps
• Method 1 of 4: Take Care of Your Emotional Health
• Method 2 of 4: Find Hobbies
• Method 3 of 4: How to survive in a social environment
• Method 4 of 4: When you decide to make friends

If you don't have friends in high school or college, you may be very sad and upset, especially if there are a lot of active and outgoing people around you. Living without friends can be difficult, but you don't need to have many friends and buddies to be happy and successful. During your school years, you can do without friends if you find hobbies for yourself, find other ways to communicate, and take care of your emotional health.

Steps

Method 1 of 4: Take Care of Your Emotional Health

1. 1 Think about the reasons you are having trouble making friends. There can be many explanations for this. Take the time and think carefully about the reasons. In addition, it should be borne in mind that if you want, this situation can be changed and found friends. Here are some questions you can ask yourself to understand why you don't have friends right now:
   • Have you had any major life changes recently? For example, have you moved to a new school or moved to another city? This may be one of the reasons for the lack of friends. Another reason could be a fight with friends. Have you fought with a friend or friends lately for some reason?
   • Are you just naturally introverted? If you enjoy spending time with yourself more than with your friends, chances are you are an introvert. If you do, you may not have friends because you prefer being alone. However, it is quite possible to make friends while sometimes being alone with yourself.
   • Have you had any emotional turmoil lately? If you've been feeling depressed for a while, and you don't have the desire and motivation to go out and make friends, this may be the reason for the lack of friends. If this really is about you, it is important to ask for help. Talk to a school counselor, an institute psychologist, or a trusted adult (parent, teacher, or religious representative).
2. 2 Accept yourself for who you are. It is important to accept yourself for who you are. Understand that there is nothing wrong with being shy, that you are a little different and not as outgoing as those around you. Don't worry about how many friends you have, and don't let anyone make you feel terrible.
   • If peers try to laugh at you, be able to stand up for yourself. Don't get involved in a fight, but let people know that you won't be offended.
   • If you want to make more friends in the future, the first step you need to take is to accept yourself as you are.
3. 3 Decide for yourself if you want to become more outgoing. Regardless of what others are telling you, you must decide on your preferred pastime on your own. There is nothing wrong with being a calm and reserved introvert. If you decide it would be nice to have some close friends, don't let anyone convince you otherwise.
   • However, keep in mind that being alone is no good either. You may not be the life of the party, but being a little more outgoing would be great.
4. 4 Consider whether you have social anxiety, social anxiety, or some other condition. If people around you constantly make you nervous, ask yourself if social anxiety is preventing you from making new friends. There are other conditions (such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, ADHD, and autism) that can also make it difficult to communicate and make friends.
   • If you think you have a mental health disorder, ask your parents to take you to a psychologist or therapist.
5. 5 Sign up for a consultation with a psychologist or psychotherapist. If you are constantly feeling sad and hopeless, talk to your school counselor or therapist. They can help you sort out your feelings and develop a socialization plan.

Method 2 of 4: Find Hobbies

1. 1 Be creative. In your free time, engage in the development of creative skills, such as drawing, writing, sewing, or sculpture. If you're more tech-savvy than art-savvy, try starting image editing in Photoshop or trying to code your own video games. Creativity will provide an opportunity to express emotions, in addition, the acquired skills can be useful in the future in your profession.
2. 2 Start exercising. Exercise is a great hobby that can help improve your mood and regain your self-esteem, as well as positively affect your well-being. If you don't feel like joining a sports team, just try running, cycling, or swimming. Plus, you can buy a gym membership and do strength training or cardio equipment.
   • If you want to practice with a friend, invite a family member to play tennis or soccer with you. You can just take the dog and go for a walk.
   • Joining a sports team may seem daunting to you. But it can be a great opportunity to meet new people.
3. 3 Explore your city. It is not necessary to gather a whole group of friends just to get out of the house and enjoy the walk. If there is a museum in your city that you have never been to, or you are incredibly eager to go somewhere - go ahead, arrange yourself a day of relaxation! You can choose a day and go to the movies, go shopping or take a walk in the park.
   • If you want, consider a temporary change of scenery: take a bus or train and go for a day in another city.
4. 4 Learn something new. Be constantly busy, start learning what you always wanted to learn to do. Consider starting to learn a foreign language, take up cooking, or sign up for some other online course on a topic that interests you. When you are successful in this business, you will immediately feel better, and your skills may be useful to you in the future.

Method 3 of 4: How to survive in a social environment

1. 1 Be polite and focused. You don't need to make good friends, but you do need to stay on good terms with your peers and teachers. In your daily life, try to be good and treat others the way you want them to treat you.
   • When you are good to other people, they will have nothing against you, and in the future it will be easier for you to find friends if you want to.
2. 2 Join a club or interest group. In high school and college, there are many opportunities to participate in a variety of fun activities. Find information on what programs are offered at your school or institute. Joining a club or hobby group can be a great way to stay in touch with other people without becoming close friends with them.
   • For example, you might join a science club, a book discussion group, or just a sports team.
   • In addition, you can register on various sites and find people there with whom you have common interests.
3. 3 Spend time with your pet. Animals can make great company, especially dogs. Some even think that animals are better friends than humans. If you don't have a pet yet, ask your parents to get someone.
   • Consider adopting a puppy or kitten from a shelter. It is often difficult for these animals to find a good home, but they can become very loyal pets and friends.
   • Plus, your dog will help you start communicating with someone when you walk with it. For example, if someone compliments your dog, this can be a great opportunity to strike up a conversation. You can just say, “Oh, thanks! Do you have a dog? "
   • If you have a dog or cat, you can also start a conversation with neighbors or new acquaintances. For example, if you know that someone you know has a pet, you might say, “Oh, I just got a cat / dog too. I love her so much! " You can then show a photo of your pet and talk to that friend about his pet.
4. 4 Get a job or become a volunteer. Find jobs and different sites that recruit volunteers for the position you are interested in. Work and volunteering are good ways to start connecting with other people and keep them going.
   • Start small. Even a simple job at McDonald’s or Starbucks can help save some money for the future.
   • Volunteering for a job you enjoy will help you feel better, and the experience will give you an edge when looking for a real job, as well as when you need to do an internship at an institute.
5. 5 Develop your social skills. If you don't spend time with your friends too often, you can hardly say that your communication skills are well developed. Find an opportunity to practice this, get to know different people, learn to keep a conversation with them, make them feel comfortable around you.
   • If you don't know why you don't have friends, and your communication skills leave a lot to be desired, most likely there is a logical explanation for this. However, it should be borne in mind that the lack of basic communication skills speaks of more serious problems than the fear of rejection. Talk to a trusted adult, such as a parent or teacher. Find someone you can talk to about your communication problem.

Method 4 of 4: When you decide to make friends

1. 1 Become interested. If you want to make friends, there are some tips to help you form friendships. The point is, people like to talk about themselves. Therefore, you can start a conversation by asking them questions and asking them to tell different stories about yourself.
   • Ask open-ended questions that provide an opportunity to tell a story. This is better than simple questions that can only be answered "yes" or "no." For example, if you are at an event, you can ask: "How did you meet the host of the party?" or "What do you like to do?"
2. 2 Be an active listener. You not only need to strike up a conversation and talk to people, you also need to be an active listener. Make eye contact, nod in agreement, and remember to use different sounds and exclamations ("mmm", "oh!") To keep the person talking.
   • Active listeners usually find it easy to make friends because many people want to share their point of view or share their concerns. Practice being carried away by the conversation, be ready to respond, partially summarizing in the answer everything you just heard.
   • For example, you might say, "Looks like you've had a really hard day!" This phrase can briefly summarize what the other person has told you.
3. 3 Tell the other person something personal. Vulnerability is a necessary and truly wonderful aspect of friendship. Personal conversations are the thing that distinguishes the communication of friends and acquaintances. For example, you can tell a friend about your parents' divorce, but you are unlikely to be able to share this information with a simple acquaintance. Open up and tell the person something personal to show that you trust them.
   • Think of something small but personal enough to share with a new friend, such as, “Last school year was a really tough one for me. My parents divorced". Then observe how the person reacts to this and decide whether to continue communicating.
4. 4 Take risks and remember that you can fail. If you are ready to bring communication with a person to the level of friendship, you agree to a certain risk. If the person you are trying to befriend usually spends time with friends, invite them for a one-on-one walk with you. This shows that you would like to get to know this person better.
   • Say, “Oh, you look great! Would you like to go to the cinema with me this Saturday? "