On the 11th of February people around the world will celebrate National Make a Friend Day. It is a day to create new friends and celebrate the joys of making new friends. Friends help us to make life a joyous journey during the good times, and they are there for us during the bad times. Psychologically, they keep us in a healthy state. It is therefore important to make time for friends and/or grow your circle of friends.
Grow your circle of friends by reaching out to your colleagues, specifically those you don’t know.
Speak to someone you have never spoken to
Speak to someone you have never spoken to before at work. Begin with small talks. Ask them about themselves – to make it comfortable for the both of you, you might want to ask them about the work they do and if they are interested, you can tell them about your work/project etc.
You never know, the conversation in the future may be about your weekend parties and your family.
Strike up a conversation on your social media
We all have hundreds, if not thousands, of followers on our social media accounts, why not get in contact with a colleague you have things in common with. Maybe they share articles from the same website, or you have similar taste in music – make a comment or send them a quick message saying you appreciate their taste. It could lead to a conversation over a coffee.
Reach out to an old colleague
There is probably a colleague you haven’t spoken to in a long time – maybe you enjoyed speaking with this colleague at work but haven’t been in touch since they left. Reach out to them, maybe they still think about the good times too, and now is the right time to continue them.
In this social media age, it’s easy to find someone you lost connection with. Reconnect on social media and see where the conversation takes you. We hope it will re-establish your friendship.
Smile and say “hello” to a stranger
Don’t want to just speak with colleagues? Then be more adventurous and speak with someone in your favourite lunchtime café, restaurant, or even on the train, smile and say, “hello” to a stranger. Friendships can begin in the unlikeliest places! Lose the shyness and embrace the spirit of National Make a Friend Day.
Whatever you do, reach out to someone new and embrace this day to its fullest.