In order to transform your social life, you need to make changes in what you are doing right now. From making meaningful connections, to having weekend plans, and someone special to talk to, our social lives are important, and there is always room to improve them. The quality of one’s life is linked to the quality of their relationships. So, friendships, family ties, and romantic connections affect a person’s outlook and can make life better, more fulfilling, and worthwhile.
Check out these behaviors to change your social life. Do something different today.
1. Call, don’t text.
It’s very common in our generation for people to communicate with their friends via text versus a phone call. Break the cycle by creating a healthier balance between calling and texting. Call your friends when you would like to get together, and only text them for informal things or when you’re super-short on time. Everyone loves receiving a phone call from a friend. Sometimes it’s awkward to talk on the phone, especially with someone you don’t know well. It seems intimate and scary, but it improves the quality of the relationship and makes a difference. And, when guys call to ask you out, always take them more seriously than the super-lame constant texters. FYI, like he’s BF material, LOL. Truth!
2. Break barriers.
In order to improve our social lives, we need to be revolutionary by taking actions we might not normally take. For example, people from our past lives often drift and become like strangers. Some of your best friends from high school you may not talk to anymore, and the relationship only consists of “liking” each other’s photos on social media. That’s impersonal. If she or he means something to you, and there was no falling out, contact them in a genuine way to catch up. See what happens next. And, we all have certain classmates whom we enjoy talking to and find interesting, but may not consider them more than an acquaintance. Ask them to meet up for coffee sometime in the near future. When people break barriers with you, also be open! If you meet an interesting guy on a night out and the interaction is positive, exchange numbers… Don’t be shy! Nothing ventured, nothing gained!
3. Say hello.
Make your college campus a friendlier place by greeting strangers. Pay attention to who is around you. A simple “hello” and smile is all you need. Making eye contact with strangers can be uncomfortable, but you never know where it will take you. Sometimes people get confused when a stranger on campus greets them, like “Okayyy, who are you? Why are you looking at me?” Then, they proceed to walk past you, avoiding your gaze at all costs. But, seriously, how anti-social is that?! A simple greeting can start small-talk in some situations, and you may even gain a new friend or a date. If they don’t say “hello” back, whatever. Mother Theresa once said, “Never let anyone come to you without leaving happier.” So, smile and wave!
4. Make your weekends interesting. Create plans.
Let’s make mundane weekends a thing of the past. We’ve all got homework, important responsibilities, and some of us have jobs. Even if you’re extroverted, it can be difficult to come out of the comfort/work cave and socialize on the weekends, but it’s good for us to do it. I recently started a job at a retail boutique, so now I understand the challenges of working while attending college. These days I make an extra effort to make plans with friends on the weekends. This requires using your executive function and planning activities days in advance. You need to start operating at a higher level and think ahead. Create at least one fun situation in your weekend schedule that doesn’t involve school or your job. Forget academics and work commitments for a minimum of 1 hour. Go out and be social. Partyyy… Out of the cave!
5. Join a cause.
Harness your passions by joining causes that you are interested in. Find an outlet that makes you feel like you are just doing school on the side. Community service is not only a way to give back and contribute to bettering our world, but also a great way to meet like-minded people. You realize that you are part of something bigger than yourself. Or, partaking in hobbies, such as art, biking, or playing an instrument will help you to release stress and detach from your sources of anxiety. If you combine a hobby with a social experience, like a yoga class or club meeting, you find people with common interests. Hence, new friends and a fulfilling social life!
6. Let go of baggage.
Be free. In order to be ready for a romantic relationship, you need to let go of the past. We may never forget past relationships, but we can control whether we are bitter at exes or still trying to rekindle the flame. If you want to meet your soul mate, your life must be in order in many aspects, but most importantly- emotionally and spiritually. You can’t still be holding on to an ex-boyfriend, wondering why it didn’t work out. Then, you won’t be able to fully commit to someone else. With regard to past arguments with friends, you can’t change what happened, but you can control what you do next. If a “friend” started a horrible rumor about you, you may understandably have issues trusting new friends. Slowly let your walls come down, as you get to know new people. You’ll be glad you did, and those connections will be more meaningful. Move on!
7. Be resilient.
People with successful social lives are resilient and mature. This doesn’t mean that rejection from others doesn’t hurt them. We are all human. Resilience means that you can handle rejection, pick up where you left off, and rebuild. When your friend starts being flakey, and you two lose touch, you know not to be too pushy about getting together. Instead, you put the friendship at a lower priority, but sustain the positive tie. When the guy you’re seeing decides to move on, you stay awesome without him. You keep telling yourself you’re beautiful, and continue believing that there is someone else right around the corner. You avoid taking the wishy-washyness of a twenty-something college guy personally because it’s in his DNA to be less mature than you at his age. It’s okay to acknowledge pain because it only builds up when we ignore it. The destructive act many take in this situation is dwelling on rejection and letting it overcome them. Be strong. Be resilient!