9 Ways To Find New Friends in Retirement

#1 Join a Club

Clubs are superior to many more generalized meet-and-greets for one main reason: Everyone at a club shares a common interest. Sharing a common hobby is a great way to start out with a potential friend.

Clubs can be at official meeting places, such as golf clubs or lodges, but they don’t have to be that fancy. You could attend a local book club, visit a writer’s guild, attend meetings at the community center, or visit any number of organizations that can bring you closer to people who share your interests.

Activity partners can quickly become friends for life.

#2 Adopt a Dog

Adopting a dog instantly makes you a member of a global club of people that have something in common, while providing ample opportunities to socialize in a relaxing way. Having a dog not only makes you feel good but also connects you with people through your local dog park, kennel, veterinarian, and even just on the street.

Having a dog with you is a great conversation starter with random people, too, so you could potentially make new friends on a walk without even trying. The exercise doesn’t hurt either.

To learn more, read our list of reasons why seniors should adopt a pet.

#3 Take a Class

Learning a new skill is a proven way to improve mental functioning as one ages. Taking a class to explore a forgotten hobby or learning something completely new is a great way to feel accomplished while making a positive health move at the same time. It’s also a great way to make new friends with people who share a common interest.

Whether it’s a local art class, a yoga meeting, or even just sitting in on some college courses, taking classes connects you with like-minded people that would make great candidates for new friends.

#4 Attend a House of Worship

A house of worship can connect you with others and with your community on a deeply emotional level, regardless of your religion or denomination. Research has even shown that regular worship can reduce depression.

Even if you have never been religious, or haven’t been in a long time, you may find it rewarding to return to your faith or take up a new one in your old age. Places of worship also provide ample opportunities to join clubs, volunteer, and attend events, all of which can help you make new friends.

#5 Join a Travel Group

Travel groups tailored to seniors through numerous organizations provide great opportunities to see the world and meet new people. These groups can be connected to charity outreach programs, but they can also be for pleasure, catering to folks who want to see new places and experience new things.

No matter where you want to go as part of your retirement bucket list, there’s probably a travel group for you. They streamline vacations so that you get to see everything you want, eat the best food around, and meet like-minded travelers who could easily become new friends.

#6 Visit Your Local Senior Center

Senior centers can offer a ton of activities that make it easier to make new friends. Classes like knitting, painting, computers, nutrition, tai chi, dancing, swimming, and financial planning are just some of the options they can offer.

They also provide various clubs and activities like group trips to the theater, dinner clubs, book clubs, movie clubs, travel groups, and more. Check with your local senior center by website, phone, or in person to see if anything grabs your attention.

#7 Volunteer

Volunteering can be a rewarding way to give back to the community as well as an efficient way to meet new friends. Caring about a cause can be as mutually rewarding as sharing a hobby and can connect you to like-minded people just as well.

You can visit online databases to search for volunteering opportunities near you based on different categories, including community outreach, education, advocacy, health, and youth programs.

#9 Reconnect with Old Friends

Reconnecting with old friends sounds like an obvious way to socialize, but as we get older, this gets harder and harder to do. Friends drift apart, lead separate lives, and even outgrow the experiences they used to share together.

However, your old friends may be out there thinking about you, too! Sometimes, all it takes is a phone call to reconnect with an old friend. Even if it stays long-distance, rekindled friendships can be the most rewarding that we can have, at any age.

Bottom Line

Putting aside the numerous emotional and physical benefits of socializing in our old age, having friends is just fun, no matter how old you are. The possibilities are endless for joining local clubs, senior centers, classes, volunteer groups, travel groups, places of worship, jobs, and more to make friends with like-minded people.