How To Be Friendlier

Why this topic?

We need friends. No matter how introverted you may be, humans are social creatures. In school, you’re going to have group projects where you need to work with others. When you get a job, you have coworkers you need to get along with. Hopefully, these tricks will help you be more social!

How to Be Friendlier

I went through a few articles and tried to find the behaviors that were listed the most.

Start conversations
- Try to be the one to start a conversation. I know this can be really hard, but it’s a great way to make a new friend. Personally, I'm not the best conversation starter, but I do want to get better at it. One simple way to start a conversation is by asking someone what their name is.
Give genuine compliments
- This is an easy way to start a conversation. One way is to mention something that they’re wearing. Be genuine in what you say. A compliment won't mean anything if you don't believe in what you're saying.
Body language
- Smile. This alone will automatically make you seem friendlier. You'll also feel more confident if you smile while talking to another person.
- Try to maintain eye contact. This will show that you're paying attention and interested in what the other person is saying.
- Don't cross your arms. This can be perceived as a sign of judgement and hostility.
- Have your feet point towards whoever you're talking to. This will show that you're interested in and enjoying the conversation.
“Don’t criticize, condemn or complain”
- This exact wording was used in two articles that I looked at. Being negative is something that turns people away. The 5:1 ratio is used for positives: negatives. This means that for every one negative someone hears, they need five positive statements to be balanced again.
Invite people to hang out
- This shows that you want to meet them again. Of course, make sure that they invite you too, but by asking to hang out, it shows that you value them and that you want to spend time with them. Your actions matter too. Having lunch with a future friend is a great way to get to know them better.
Put your phone away
- I am guilty of having my phone out while talking to people. Even if you’re not on it, it’s a good idea to put it in your pocket or purse. This can show that you’re interested in what the other person is saying, and you’ll have no distractions. From now on, I will try to have my phone put away if I'm taking to someone.