Nobody Warned Me Friendships Get Quiet

Nobody told me that making friends as an adult would feel like starting over with no instructions. In school, friends were built in. Same hallway, same lunch table, same group chat by Friday. Then everyone scatters. New cities, new jobs, new schedules. And a lot of young adults quietly decide, "I guess I'm just bad at this."

You're not bad at it. You're doing it without the scaffolding.

A few things I've seen actually help:

• Be the one who sends the "thinking of you" text first. Most people are waiting for someone else to go first.

• Pick a repeating thing (a Tuesday walk, a monthly dinner). Friendship grows from repetition more than from big moments.

• Let it be a little awkward. Awkward is just the sound of something new starting.

Parents and mentors: if your young adult seems lonely, you don't have to fix it. Ask, "Who do you miss?" and just listen.

Therapists: how often is "I'm so busy" really "I'm so lonely"?

Who is one person you've been meaning to text? Go do it, then tell me how it went.

#Friendship #YoungAdultMentalHealth #Loneliness #SocialEmotionalLearning #AnchorPoint