SOCIAL: Fun, Friends and Recreation
This is a close look at your fun and recreation activities. Your circle of friends and associates, or volunteer community service.
Dictionary definition of social life: the part of a person’s time spent doing enjoyable things with others. Did you get the point? “ doing enjoyable things with others”. Yet so often we are caught in an endless loop of busy routines. Jobs to do, deadlines to meet and don’t forget to…where did all the fun go?
We had no trouble having fun with the other kids when we were younger. We were probably still care-free when our teenage hormones kicked in. Suddenly it all went down hill from there with career moves, marriage, kids, rent to pay and before long your social life entirely evolved around the unconditional friendship of the family dog. If this sounds a little like your situation, then it is time to act to improve things.
Your social life is just as important as all other areas. Put the fun, friends and recreation back into your life. It is truly worth the effort. Here are my best tips to get started to make that happen.
- Take action and reach out, Until you act not much will change for you. Even small efforts to do something different can product unexpected pleasant surprises
- Seek out others with similar interests, Review what makes you happy and at which times do you feel most energised. Take the step of researching where others with similar interests hang out. Visit those groups or places with the intention to meet someone new.
- Change your routine, You have heard it before; same old, same old. By changing your routine, you increase the chances of meeting new people and having more fun. Even a small change like walking the dog (if you have one) in the early mornings will have you breaking the ice with so many new acquaintances.
- Sack negative friends, If you currently have friends or associates that are not supporting you or bring you down, sack them! Move away from them fast. Negative personalities are poison. Reduce your exposure to other people’s problems and bad attitudes.
- Become approachable, Body language and appearance are so important to first impressions. Be humble; look in the mirror. Would you want to get to know and have fun with this person? Check your grooming, cleanliness and pay more attention to finer details of appearance. Become ‘Brand You’. PS Remember to always stay authentic and true to who you are.
- Become more friendly, Becoming more social is about being friendlier. Be yourself and appreciate all the things that make you unique and special. Old fashion good manners count so much toward better social situations, so too is appreciation, compliments and gratitude.
- Improve your social skills, We are all on a self-improvement journey when it comes to learning new skills. The learning that is most useful for social skills is “Communication Skills”. No surprise, however, that is also a very broad topic. From body language through to tone of voice, there is a lot to learn. My best tip is to start small on just one thing first.