Ask your friends if they know of anyone in your current city

Running out of ideas? Get a recommendation! Think of it as a friendship by referral. When I first moved to New York, my college friend suggested I link up with her best friend from high school and now we’re like peas and carrots.

Unfortunately, nothing comes easy as an adult, including making friends. No one is going to come knocking at your door asking you to come out and play (if they do, call the police). It’s a conscious effort.

Be Patient

Friendships, like relationships, take time. You’re not going to meet your new bestie overnight. So just understand it may take a few months before the loneliness totally dissipates.

Don’t Settle

Also akin to relationship advice, just because someone gives you a little attention and invests some time in you, doesn’t mean you have to be friends! Make sure you actually enjoy that person’s company and they’re not just filling a void. I once went on a road trip with a girl I barely liked just because my options were limited. I won’t divulge details on the trip but. it was a big mistake.

Be Your Own Friend

As I said in #1, it may take a while for you to find the right tribe. Therefore, embrace the solitude. You’re in a new city, so explore it! You don’t need a buddy to go to the museum or to check out that restaurant down the street. Get to know your new home from your own perspective.

• How to Make Friends in a New City | Greatist ›
• Moving to a New City: How an Introvert Made 200+ New Friends in . ›
• 17 Smart Ways To Make New Friends When You Move ›
• The Secret to Making Friends in a New City | HuffPost ›
• How to Find Friends in a New City – The Everygirl ›
• How To Make Friends As An Adult / In A New City / After University . ›
• 6 Simple Steps to Making Friends in a New City | Moving ›
• How to Make Friends in a New City | The Art of Manliness ›

Anndi Jinelle is a part-time creative and full-time corporate cog in the machine living in Brooklyn, NY. This 20-something spends most of her days going from coffee to wine, moving closer to her truth, and watching way more TV than is humanly possible. Catch her on Twitter

SZA is no stranger to discussing her mental health struggles and her experiences with anxiety. In 2021, the “Good Days” singer tweeted about having “debilitating anxiety” that causes her to shield away from the public. Unfortunately, she still has those same struggles today and opened up about it during Community Voices 100th episode for Mental Health Awareness Month. While SZA enjoys making music, she’s not a fan of the spotlight, which may be surprising to many.

“So many times I’m like, ‘Damn, I’m about to go be a farmer. My contract is about to expire, I might as well be a farmer,'” she said. “Because the pressure of dropping another album, making sure my deals make sense [. ] building this life is way harder than abdicating my responsibility [as an artist].”

While she has fans who love her, like many celebrities the “I Hate U” singer still deals with criticism no matter what, and sometimes those negative comments get to her especially if she was already thinking about herself in that way.

“It’s weird sometimes, when your personal thoughts and feelings align with some of the things people say about you,” she said. “It’s like, ‘Damn. I think this about myself? I don’t know if this person is so wrong.’ It’s weird, because then it’s like, ‘Damn, what’s wrong with me?’ It’s tough. It’s hard not to fall into that weird hole of self-loathing.”