When moving, meeting people is one of the most important aspects to facilitate our adaptation process. Next, we show you how to do it.
Moving to another city is often a challenge, as it involves leaving everything we know behind and adapting to the new situation.
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| How To Meet People In A New City |
During this stage it is normal for you to experience a series of mixed feelings, such as fear, enthusiasm, nostalgia… It is even quite common for us to find it difficult to meet people in the new location . However, here are 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 since 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 links with them.
1. Get rid of prejudices
It is quite common for cities or regions to have pre-established stereotypes about what the inhabitants of the place are like . When we move to a new city it is difficult not to know them, because there is always someone to let us know. For example, “the people of such a city are usually cold” or “distant” or “very warm”.
Although this type of belief about the inhabitants may seem harmless, it is not at all. Well, without realizing it, we fall into a bias that significantly determines the way we relate to each other, and it does not necessarily have to be true. In addition, we run the risk of offending if we comment on a badly unfounded stereotype.
The ideal is to arrive without any prejudice and let ourselves be surprised by the people of the place . 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. Like, for example, cooking classes, dance, languages, among others. The ideal is that you 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 the frequent meeting with the same people ends up creating bonds and cohesion between the members . So don’t even think about it anymore.
3. Attend cultural events
Cultural events are other contexts that facilitate contacts between the inhabitants of the area. Public libraries, museums and universities are often full of posters calling for music festivals, book clubs and fairs. These events provide a festive atmosphere that encourages people to integrate .
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. In addition, you can join social events created by other users, and if there are none that interest you, you can create your own.
5. Announce that you are leaving and that you are looking for friends
Another way to use the internet to our advantage is by posting where we are going on social media and asking our contacts if they know anyone there . Even if it’s a distant relative of a former co-worker, that helps.
Perhaps this new contact will suggest the best place to shop, help you identify a good area to live in, or invite you out with their friends.
In the end, these contacts add up and help us create new links . More complicated is arriving in the new city without knowing anyone at all.
6. Do tourism in the place
To meet new people it is necessary to leave home. Take advantage of the fact that you do not know the place and venture 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 that you are new in town , this can lead to a more friendly behavior towards you; In addition, it is very likely that they will help you make friends.
Taking walks and sightseeing helps to meet new people in some cities.
7. Avoid rejecting invitations
We know how tempting it can be to go home, lay down on the couch and watch movies. But, as we have already said, it is difficult for your circle of friends to expand if you stay locked up .
If your colleagues at work or school ask you out, avoid rejecting the invitation; so you are tired Just sharing for a while is enough to strengthen relationships . Sometimes we get so caught up in our responsibilities that we don’t notice the opportunities we miss to socialize . Afterward, we wonder why we are so lonely.
8. Practice assertive communication
Assertiveness in communication is very important for the establishment and maintenance of 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 that the other feels comfortable expressing himself as he is.