How to meet people in a new city

Moving to another city is usually a challenge, as it involves leaving behind everything we know and adapting to the new situation. While we adapt to the new place, it is vital that we know how to meet people, since having a circle of friends and acquaintances will make our experience more pleasant and enriching.

During this stage it is normal for you to experience a series of mixed feelings, such as fear, enthusiasm, nostalgia… Even, It is quite common that we find it difficult to meet people in the new location. However, we present some tips that will help you make new friends.

8 tips for meeting people in a new city

Moving to a new city is an enriching experience. Especially because it gives you the opportunity to meet more people.

If this process has cost you a lot, or you don’t know where to start, don’t worry! Here we tell you how to achieve it.

Signing up for an activity makes it easier to meet other people and create bonds with them.

1. Get rid of prejudices

It is quite common for cities or regions to have pre-established stereotypes about what the local inhabitants are like. When we move to a new city it is difficult not to know them, because there is never a lack of someone to let us know. For example, “people in that city tend to be cold” or “distant” or “very warm.”

Although this type of belief about the inhabitants may seem harmless, it is not at all. Well, without us realizing it, We fall into a bias that significantly determines the way we relate, and it doesn’t necessarily have to be true. Furthermore, we run the risk of offending if we comment on an ill-founded stereotype.

The ideal is to arrive without any prejudice and let ourselves be surprised by the local people.. We are not all the same, even though we live in the same city. So, the first thing you should do to meet people is to let go of those beliefs about the inhabitants of the new city.

2. Sign up for an activity

One of the most effective alternatives to meet people is to sign up for an activity in which a group of people participate. Such as, for example, cooking, dance, language classes, among others. Ideally, you should get involved in routines that you enjoy, so you will meet people who share the same tastes as you.

The advantage of this option is that Frequent encounters with the same people end up creating bonds and cohesion between members. So don’t even think about it anymore.

3. Attend cultural events

Cultural events are other contexts that facilitate contacts between residents of the area. Public libraries, museums, and universities are often filled with posters calling for music festivals, book clubs, and fairs. These events create a festive atmosphere that encourages people to join in..

4. Use apps to meet people

Today there is a multiplicity of digital applications whose purpose is to connect people from the same place and with common interests. One of them is Meetup. Through this platform, you can meet new people. Additionally, you can join social events created by other users, and if there aren’t any that interest you, you can create them yourself.

5. Announce that you are leaving and that you are looking for friends

Another way to use the internet to our advantage is posting on social media where we are going and asking our contacts if they know anyone there. Even if you are a distant relative of a former coworker, that helps.

Maybe this new contact will suggest the best place to shop, help you identify a good area to live, or invite you out with their friends.

In the end, these contacts add up and help us create new links. More complicated is arriving to the new city without knowing anyone at all.

6. Go sightseeing in the place

To meet new people it is necessary to leave home. Take advantage of the fact that you don’t know the place and venture out to discover it. It is likely that on your walks you will have the opportunity to interact with someone. In these cases, do not miss the opportunity and coordinate other meetings.

Don’t be afraid to say you’re new in town, this can lead to kinder behavior towards you; Plus, they are very likely to help you make friends.

Taking walks and sightseeing helps you meet new people in some cities.

7. Avoid rejecting invitations

We know how tempting it can be to go home, lie down on the couch and watch movies. But, as we already said, Your circle of friends is hardly going to expand if you stay locked up..

If your work or school colleagues ask you out, avoid rejecting the invitation; even if you are tired. Just sharing a moment is enough to strengthen relationships.. Sometimes, we are so immersed in our responsibilities that we don’t realize the opportunities we miss to socialize. Afterwards, we wonder why we are so lonely.

8. Practice assertive communication

Assertiveness in communication is very important for establishing and maintaining any relationship. This consists of expressing one’s own opinions directly, with respect and without generating discomfort in the other. In addition, it implies respecting the ideas, interests and opinions of others..

Assertive communication allows us to express ourselves genuinely and make the other feel comfortable expressing itself as it is.

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