Connect with the people around you

Connect with the people around you. With family, friends, colleagues and neighbours. Investing in building and nurturing these relationships will support and enrich you every day.

Tips for connecting with the people around you:

1. Be friendly and positive. If you want to meet new people and make new friends, you have to be open to it. Having a positive outlook and being a happy person will make you attractive to new people.
2. Be the friend you would want to others. Similar to treating others as you would like to be treated, being the type of friend you would like will make it easier to connect to others.
3. Start the conversation. Simple ways to connect with people can start with simple questions about what’s happening in their lives and with you really listening to people. Another easy way to start a convo and connect can be to compliment a person on something they’re doing/wearing etc.
4. Spend more quality time with people. You can connect better with your family and friends if you really take time to connect with the people in front of you and not the things around you (for example, your smartphone).
5. Connect with your community. Be friendly with your neighbours and make conversation about what’s happening in your area. This way you’ll know what’s going on and make new connections at the same time.
6. Make an effort. It can be easy to drift from old friends and family if you move schools or away from home but there’s really no excuse these days with social media and free messaging apps. Check in every so often to see how they are doing.
7. Follow through on plans. Actually meeting up with people and socialising in real life can improve your mood if you’re feeling down so stop saying “Oh we should go for that coffee sometime” and arrange a time to really do it.
8. Volunteer. Getting involved in some community work or a charity you are passionate about means you will not only connect with like-minded people but you’ll be making a difference in other people’s lives too.
9. Stay in touch. It can be difficult to make time for friends if you are leading a busy life. While chatting to them via phone or online is great, there’s no substitute for meeting them face to face.
10. Join a club. Stay connected with people by joining a club and meeting up with people who enjoy similar interests.