People have varying levels of socialness with some being less social than others, however, socializing is very much a key ingredient for maintaining your long-term happiness, whether it be done in person or over the internet. Preferably, though, you’d want to socialize in person mainly because there are other benefits such as physicality and the ability to maintain or increase social skills.
For this reason, we’ve constructed a handpicked list of social hobbies that allow you to meet up and engage with others. Let’s take a look.
1. Martial Arts
Martial arts have seen a resurgence of interest over the past decade mainly thanks to how popular the UFC has become, and because the internet allows people to publicize these bouts more easily.
Joining a martial arts club can be a scary prospect for many people but is actually one of the best ways to build confidence and bond with other like-minded individuals. When practiced safely, martial arts do not need to involve getting injured or even sparring with other people if you really don’t want to.
You can learn a ton of things about martial arts techniques and discipline just through demonstration alone — It’s also a great way to get in shape and to keep your mood boosted throughout the day.
The best place to find a martial arts club is through an online search in your local area or you can ask at your local gymnasium to see if they provide these types of services.
2. Tabletop Communities (Warhammer, Magic: The Gathering, etc)
If you have an interest in any type of fantasy world/universe then you’ll probably find it also has a variety of tabletop or trading card games to play and a community to go with them.
In fact, some of the biggest fantasy franchises such as Warcraft, Warhammer, Pokémon, Magic: The Gathering, Lord of the Rings, and many more all have various tabletop games dedicated to them which makes finding like-minded people easy.
Nobody says friends have to have similar interests but it does really help in the initial phase as it gives you something to chat about to fill those awkward silences.
Even if the specific fictional universe you’re interested in doesn’t have any dedicated tabletop games, you can still use Dungeon & Dragons as a conduit to play through to emulate the world you’re in.
Again, if you’re interested in finding a community you can easily do this by searching on Google for “D&D groups near me” or the relevant community and game you want to play.
3. Join a Local Gym
Joining a local gym is a great way to interact with people at pretty much any time of the day, especially since most are geared toward 24-hour opening times these days.
This is a good opportunity if you’re bored to get a good workout in, destress and potentially make some friends. Even if you don’t intentionally go out of your way to talk to people at the gym, it’s still going to happen at some point when someone needs spotting or wants to use the equipment you’re on between sets. This can inspire conversation about the kind of workout you’re doing and what advice you or they may recommend to make your workout better.
Gyms are a great place for joining clubs too and they will usually have dedicated activities that you can sign up for making it even easier to socialize with other people.
4. Join a Forum Community
Although some people consider them outdated, forums still get frequent traffic for dedicated topics that people want to discuss.
Reddit is one of the most popular platforms that have a range of specific subcommunities for whatever you’re interested in. Whether you’re looking for advice, want to talk about certain things, or just want to make friends, forums are a great place to find like-minded people.
The only drawback of using online forums is that it lacks face-to-face interaction, though, you can still arrange meetups if it’s appropriate.
5. Skateboarding
If there’s any community out there that loves to socialize and help people learn then the crown definitely goes to skaters.
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Although seen as a hobby for the youth, skating is becoming far more accessible and easy to learn through online mediums such as YouTube. This has prompted people of all ages to give it a go, and when done safely, can be a great way to stay in shape whilst having fun. All you need is a skateboard and a place to start skateboarding such as a local skatepark.
6. Arcades
Although arcades are seen as a time capsule for the gaming days of yesteryear, they’re still a great place to hang out to kill some time and make some friends.
Many arcade machines are designed for at least two people which means you can challenge other attendees to dance-offs, 1v1’s on Mortal Kombat, or to shoot some hoops with on the basketball machine.
You can even work together to win some prizes by combining skillsets which all add up to a really fun day out. In fact, going to the arcade is probably one of the most underrated pastimes as people assume they won’t be busy or won’t be able to compete with modern gaming styles such as PC gaming or console gaming.
Rest assured, the arcade experience is unique and cannot be emulated by home gaming setups, so why not get out there and give it a try?
7. Comedy Nights
Comedy clubs are a great place to hang out when you want to kick back, eat some good grub, have a drink, and listen to some of the top comedians in your local area.
Comedians usually prompt the crowd to get engaged meaning it’s easy to end up chatting with the person next to you or with the comedian directly which is a great way to socialize.
There are usually regular comedy events meaning you shouldn’t be stuck for choice and should be able to go at least a few times a month if not more.
Mostly though, who doesn’t love to laugh? It’s good for the soul and even better for making friends.
8. Attend a Course/Study
Going to a college campus or learning something new is a great way to get crammed into a room full of other people which eventually leads to making friends or meeting acquaintances. At the same time, you’re investing in yourself meaning it’s easier to get jobs or may lead to a career that offers greater satisfaction.
Some of the best friends you’ll ever make are during your school years which is arguably the same when you attend college or study towards a qualification. It also gives you someone to meet up with out of hours for a drink or a meal which is a great way to spend your day.
College courses and qualifications are highly accessible these days so even if you hadn’t done the best in school you should still be able to find something easy to get into.
9. Theater
If you have a flair for acting or want to try your hand at it then joining an amateur theatre club is a great way to flex your creative side and meet new people.
It requires a great deal of confidence initially but you’ll feel very comfortable once you start getting to know people and share awkward laughter with each other.
It also forces you to bond with people for certain scenes or acting moments meaning you can get your foot in the door to talk to them without needing a specific reason.
As well as that, if you’re shy or lacking confidence then doing something at the polar opposite end of the spectrum can be a good way to break that defensive shell that usually stops you from meeting new people.
10. Join a Book Club
Reading is an excellent thought-provoking hobby so it’s worth finding a book club to share and discuss your perceptions about your reading material with.
Not everyone will have the same opinion but this can actually lead to in-depth, and even philosophical topics of conversation about the meaning of the book or what lessons can be applied to your own life.
There’s absolutely no bias in terms of race, age, and gender which means that whatever your disposition you’ll be able to blend in without a fuss.
If you’re struggling to find something good to read it can also be a great way to get recommendations from other people which further increases conversation between many different kinds of people.
Google is perhaps the best source to easily find a book club in your locality in case you’re not sure where to start.
11. Start a Band
If you’re musically gifted or just have a passion for an instrument then you can easily turn this into a social opportunity to meet people by forming a band.
Some of the best friendships have resulted from creating a band and even if you don’t end up hugely successful, at least you’ll be able to get creative to put something out into the world which is truly yours.
This requires intricate communication between yourself and your band members which forces you to create a strong bond so you know how to work with each other.
Once you’ve sussed each other out you’ll find you’re never without company for whatever situation you find yourself in as bandmates can be some of the best long-term friends full stop.
12. Join An Online Gaming Community
Although this may be something your parents would scoff at, online gaming communities are one of the best tools to use to find and make friends all while playing some of your favorite games at the same time.
Some of the most popular game genres like MMORPGs, FPS, and MOBA games actively encourage finding a tight-knit bunch of friends to join up with so you can raid dungeons or tactfully take down the opposing team for the glory of total domination.
We’ve previously written an article that discusses all the nuances of gaming as a hobby and how it came to be what it is now over the past 30 years.
Gaming is here to stay and is constantly shaping the way society views itself including what we consider a “sport”.
13. Team Sports
If you have a passion for a certain sport such as Soccer, Football, Basketball, and other team activities, then it can be well worth trying to find a local team to play with or trying to rally your friends together to join you for some friendly competition.
Even if you lose, there’s nothing that gives you such a buzz as playing as hard as you can and trying your best to win in some intense rounds of sporting rivalry.
Team sports require good communication but can also help you build confidence and at the same time make new friends. It also strengthens existing relationships between you and your mates which you may not have had an opportunity to do so otherwise.
14. Handyman Jobs
If you want a hobby that helps you meet new people and makes you money at the same time then doing odd jobs for your neighbors or becoming a handyman can really help to do both things.
If you produce good work then your reputation will spread like wildfire and you’ll have plenty of opportunities every week where you can pocket some extra cash whilst sitting down to chat with a coffee after your hard work is done.
Not only will you be making money and new friends but you’ll also be kept in excellent shape too as you can burn hundreds of extra calories per day by doing physical jobs for people.
Many people undervalue their own knowledge but even if it’s something simple such as fixing computers, installing flat-pack furniture, or being great with children, this is a great way to capitalize on your hobbies to net you several strong benefits in your life.
15. Dating
Although dating is not strictly a hobby, it’s still a great social activity that you can do in your spare time for enjoyment or company, and best of all you can end up with a long-term partner from it.
Even if the romance part of the date isn’t successful you’ll more than likely end up with a friend that you can chat with as you’ve already done the hard part or broken the ice. Dating requires a lot of courage but it can be really worth it if you find someone that you want to be with forever as they’ll also be your best friend too.
You’ll learn things together, create things together, and get to laugh at different things together. Life’s pleasures are best done in the company of another person most of the time which is why we think you should give it a try!
Relevant Articles
- 21 Community Hobbies to Get You Involved With Others (Accomplish More Together)
- Top 20 Bond-Strengthening Hobbies for Couples in Their 30s
- 5 Ways to Ask Someone About Their Hobbies (a How-to Guide)
- Should You Play Video Games on a First Date? (The Pros and Cons)
Conclusion
Not all of these hobbies will work for every person, but we think with some inspiration you might just be able to give one or two a good go which will help you become more social in very little time.
Making friends can be awkward and a little tough at times but once it happens it feels really exciting making it really worth investing the time to do so. Friends make you laugh, help you learn new things, look after you when you’re ill, and can actually introduce you to more new friends.
Friends can also introduce an aspect of randomness and spontaneity to your life which most people actually enjoy as it interrupts the mundane same beaten path that you walk nearly every day.
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