If you don’t like parties, then find comfort in the fact that you’re not alone in feeling this. As amazing and energizing as parties are for a lot of people, it’s still not everybody’s cup of tea. You may find this a negative trait because you believe it will be impossible to socialize if you don’t like parties, but this couldn’t be further from the truth.
There are a lot of ways to socialize outside of massive, loud, crowded parties. If your main goal is to make friends even if you don’t like parties, we’ll go over that in this article. However, if you want to at least learn to try how to enjoy parties, we’ll dabble into that a little as well. Let’s get started.
Socialize Even If You Don’t Like Parties
The world of socializing is vast and wide. Everyone isn’t restricted to parties only when their goal is to make friends. Here are other ways to socialize if you don’t like parties.
Find a club or group for your hobby or interest
Joining a club or a group that’s centered around an activity that you enjoy is one of the most fun ways of making friends outside of parties. Whether it’s hiking, music, or reading, you’re sure to find a group or club for that in your city.
With that in mind, seek out those groups and join them. You’ll get the chance to interact with other individuals who share your passion for a certain thing. You’ll learn from them and they’ll learn from you. A friendship can blossom easily in an environment such as this.
Make use of social media
Social media is a heaven-sent platform for those who wish to find new friends but don’t want to attend a lot of parties. In our day and age, almost everyone is engaged in a social media platform. You have your most popular social networking sites, and you have your obscure forum boards that discuss specific topics.
Just as you can find groups that fit your interest in your city, you can also do the same on the internet. Just search for it and you’re sure to find one with no trouble at all. Be careful, though. As amazing as social media can be, it can also have its drawbacks.
For starters, it’s difficult to tell whether or not a person you’re talking to online is genuine. They can talk about themselves one way when it’s completely the opposite in reality. Just keep caution in mind whenever engaging with others online. Make friends, but be careful of who you trust.
Make hiking a routine
Hiking is a very fun routine to get used to. It’s good for your health, physically and mentally. It’s also a very good way of meeting people. The more you hike, the more people you will encounter. It’s also a decent way of getting to know people in your neighborhood.
Incorporate hiking into your weekly routine. You can do it as sparsely as once a week, and as frequently as once a day. Set a specific time for this. Eventually, the people you’ll meet along the way will know exactly when you’ll begin your hiking. You might even stumble upon a few hiking buddies along the way.
Join the gym
Joining the gym is also another very good way of meeting people as well as staying fit. Join your local gym and commit a few hours in your day, or in your week, for it. You can do this before work or after work, depending on your preference and schedule.
As long as the gym you join is close to your home or place of work, the people you’re going to meet in your gym will be very accessible to you. In time, you’ll make a friend or two and you can begin hanging out outside the gym. Not only will you avoid parties altogether, but you’ll also become much healthier in the process.
Be friendly to the people at your place of work
The people at your place of work are the ones you’ll spend the most time with. It will serve you infinitely better to be nice to them. A simple smile while they glance your way is more than enough.
The important thing here is that you should appear friendly and approachable at all times. You should also engage them in conversation whenever you can. Make friends at work and your workplace will become a more fun place to be in. You’ll eventually transform your relationship with them from working associates to real friends.
Have people come to your place
If you don’t enjoy being in a place you’re unfamiliar with surrounded by people you don’t know, then have the people you know come to your place instead. Invite people over and maybe encourage them to bring a friend or two. That way, you’ll be surrounded by people you know and you’ll also have the chance to meet new people, vouched by your friends.
Hosting parties can be a tiring ordeal, but they’re also incredibly fun. That said, you should only do this sparingly. Have people over at least once a month, or even once in two months. It will also bolster your image as someone who’s social enough to host parties at their own place.
Be a regular
Being a regular at a local coffee shop, restaurant, or even a relatively relaxed bar is very healthy for your social life. Patronize any of those listed above. Find a place you find soothing. One that suits your preference, taste, and mood, so that you’ll be very comfortable hanging out there. Once you finally find this place, visit it regularly to the point that even the staff are familiar with you.
Being a regular at a place will make you a familiar place. Not only will you befriend the staff, but you might also befriend a couple of other regulars. This place can also be your go-to location whenever you ask others to hang out with you.
Be open to being introduced to others
If you don’t like parties, one other avenue you can take to socialize with others is to encourage the people you know to introduce you to their other friends. Be open to this idea. This is also a good way of making friends efficiently since the people you’ll be introduced to are people who are known by your friends.
Just let it be known that you’re interested in meeting new people. Have your friends introduce you to someone they feel is going to connect with you. Someone who shares an interest or two with you. Making friends can sometimes be as simple as this.
Discover new interests
You should also be open to discovering new interests. Seek out activities and hobbies you haven’t dabbled into yet but find highly interesting. For example, if you’ve always wanted to try getting into pottery but have never found the motivation to actually get into it before, this is your motivation. Discover new interests so that you’ll have the opportunity to meet new people without attending too many parties.
Know which types of parties you like and which you dislike
Even though you don’t like parties at all, you should at least not completely close your doors on it. There are a lot of types of parties, after all. Just because you dislike one type of party, doesn’t mean you’ll dislike all of them.
For example, a dislike for loud, rowdy parties is pretty common. If you dislike this type of party too, you may just dislike the idea of being in an insanely loud environment. There may be other types of parties out there you’ll genuinely enjoy. Dinner party, wine-tasting, trivia party, company events, etc.
That said, at least entertain the thought of attending some of the parties you get invited to. Who knows? You might actually enjoy some of them. If you won’t, at least you’ll give it a try.
Nourish the friendships you already have
Just because your goal is to socialize, this doesn’t mean you should forget the friends you already have. Continue nurturing the friendships you’ve already formed. They’ll help you through this ordeal too. If there are parties you don’t enjoy, they’ll know not to invite you to that. If there are those you do enjoy, they’ll keep you in mind then.
Your friends are also your access to other networks. You’ll be able to socialize with others without going to parties through their help. Make sure to appreciate them and let them actually feel that appreciation.
How To Enjoy Parties
Truth be told, not every single party will be unfavorable to you. As long as you explore enough, there will be kinds of parties, certain moments, and various groups of people you’ll definitely enjoy. If you close your mind to every party out there, you’ll never have the chance to see these opportunities. That said, it will also serve you well to at least try to enjoy them. Here are tips you can follow to do that.
Don’t do it too often
You can dip your toes in the partying waters every so often. You don’t have to do it regularly. It’s not necessary for you to agree to attend every single party you get invited to. You can simply say yes to some of them, actually attend them, and make your judgments then.
Allow yourself to relax through all this. It’s okay to decline invitations every once in a while. As long as the people around you truly know you for who you are, they’ll understand you completely.
Be surrounded by people you’re comfortable with
Partying is much easier if you’re with people you trust. For now, only attend parties if you know there are going to be people there you’re comfortable with. They’ll make the experience so much easier for you. This is also why I’ve recommended that you host your own parties since you can control the guest list.
Don’t focus on the noise, focus on the people
In some cases, it’s unavoidable for a party to get loud. Having multiple people in one area with drinks and music involved, noise is almost inevitable. That said, don’t focus on the atmosphere of the noise. Focus on the people you can interact with. This will highlight the “socializing” aspect of parties which will drown out the noise of every other thing.
Find places you’re comfortable with
The place around you will greatly affect your overall mood and actions. If you’re not comfortable with the place, you’ll be more guarded, awkward, and anxious. However, if you are comfortable with the place you’re in, you’ll be able to make conversations much more smoothly. This will also help you find the experience much more enjoyable.
Keep an optimistic outlook
Be optimistic when it comes to parties if your goal is to socialize. The fear of not being able to socialize properly in a social setting could be one of the reasons why you don’t like parties in the first place. Remove this fear completely. Have trust that things can go well and that it will as long as you keep a positive outlook.
Don’t force yourself
If parties really aren’t your thing, then that’s okay. There’s no need for you to fully force yourself. You can avoid it altogether if that makes you feel more safe and comfortable. Your safety and comfort should always come first, after all.
You also shouldn’t feel bad about this. There are a lot of people out there who absolutely dislike parties but are still able to socialize on their own terms. Let this be true for you as well.
Improve Your Social Skills To Socialize Even If You Don’t Like Parties
One of the best things you can do for yourself since you don’t like parties and you’re still keen on socializing is to simply improve your social skills. Be someone who’s socially adept. Have people see you as a social person. You should be able to make friends even you don’t like parties this way.
Be sure to check out the other articles on this site so that your social skills will grow gradually and surely. I also highly recommend that you check out my book for an extensive read on how to improve your social skills so that you can get the friends you want.