17 Secrets to Making — and Keeping — Adult Friends
In a recent survey of 1,883 ADDitude readers, only 3.5% said they have no challenges in their relationships and friendships.
The remaining respondents reported difficulties with meeting new people, staying in touch, social anxiety, and rejection sensitive dysphoria (RSD) — all of which thwart potential and long-term connections.Here, we take a closer look at the challenges that hinder friendships and relationships and offer reader-provided solutions for building lasting connections because, as one respondent wrote, “If you don’t try, you’ll never know what could have been.”More than half (55%) of respondents said proactively making plans was their biggest friendship challenge.“I have found the best way to get together with other busy parent friends is to call and ask, ‘What are you doing right now?’ Half the time, we meet at a park or home for a few hours on a random day.
This works much better than making plans since it’s hard to prioritize ‘getting together’ over family or other obligations.”“I make plans at the last minute on the days I feel I can be social.”“I put my friends’ names in my calendar to remind me to check in, whether we have plans or not.”“I set a goal to message someone a few times a week and even put it on my to-do list.
Otherwise, it will not get done.”“I schedule a Zoom call with an out-of-state friend, who has similar challenges to mine, every few weeks.”“My best friend and I like to have phone calls over morning coffee on some weekends.
United States
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Cases: 46 252 513
Deaths: 750 423
Recovered: 0
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India
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Cases: 34 321 025
Deaths: 459 652
Recovered: 0
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Brazil
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Cases: 21 835 785
Deaths: 608 235
Recovered: 0
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United Kingdom
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Cases: 9 215 683
Deaths: 141 607
Recovered: 0
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Russia
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Cases: 8 494 589
Deaths: 237 619
Recovered: 0
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