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Making Friends as an Adult
For grown-ups who would like more friends but are not sure where to start once school is behind them. Each day is one small, low-pressure step toward meeting people, following up, and letting an acquaintance slowly become a friend.
Connection · Loneliness · Relationships · Social Anxiety · one to-do a day · you choose how many days
The first seven days
- Day 1Write down three places near you where the same people show up week after week, and circle the one you would most enjoy.
- Day 2Pick one coffee shop and go there at the same time on two different mornings this week so the regulars start to recognize you.
- Day 3Smile and say good morning to one person you see often but have never spoken to.
- Day 4Look up one class near you that meets weekly, such as pottery, dance or a language, and note the start date.
- Day 5Jot down what kind of friend you are hoping to find: someone to walk with, talk books with, or share a meal with.
- Day 6Ask a barista, librarian or front desk worker their name, and use it the next time you see them.
- Day 7Find one hobby group that meets in person within twenty minutes of home and read its next event listing.
Further into the year
The to-dos keep changing as the year goes on. A few from later in this theme:
- Day 30Compliment someone sincerely on a skill you noticed, such as how they handled a question in class.
- Day 60If you have a dog, walk it at the same time each day and greet the other dog owners you see.
- Day 120Offer a ride to a group event to someone who lives near you.
- Day 240When a plan gets no reply, wait a week, then try a different, easier plan.
- Day 365Look back over this challenge so far and write down the names of the people who are now part of your life.
How a challenge works
A Theraglee challenge is a theme with one small to-do for every day of a year. You choose how long yours runs, anywhere from a week to the full year, and each day you get the next to-do: something that takes a few minutes and fits inside an ordinary day. Tick it off when it is done. Nothing is scored and nothing is lost if you miss a day; the next to-do is simply waiting when you come back.
Challenges come with a free Theraglee account, which never asks for a card. Your progress stays private to you.