End of Term 2

HKHS Wellbeing Corner

At the start of the new school year fitting into social groups can be a cause of angst in many students. Here are some helpful hints. The full article can be accessed at:

 

http://au.reachout.com/How-to-make-friends

Making New Friends

Knowing how to be a good friend is the first step in making friends, followed by thinking about the places you can go to meet new people. If you're having difficulty, there are also certain skills you can work on and people you can speak to for a bit of help.

Friend Ready

Just because you're finding it hard to make friends, it doesn’t mean there’s anything wrong with you. But there are a couple of things you can do to come across as a great potential friend and improve your chances of finding some new mates:

  • Work on your self-awareness. When you're looking to have any relationship with another person, it's really important that you’re aware of who you are, your values and beliefs.
  • Be patient instead of pushy. . Making a network of friends is quite a slow process, but if you’re patient, you’ll end up with a whole crew of people who are lucky to be your friend.
  • Try not to bitch. It can sometimes be hard to resist building friendships based on a shared dislike of someone else. But be aware that this can make you seem like an untrustworthy friend, so it can backfire if you’re not careful.
  • Don’t forget who you are. You shouldn’t feel that you have to give up a part of yourself to make friends with others. Not only will this mean that your friendships aren’t genuine, you’ll be missing out on meeting people who think the real you is awesome.

Learn Some Skills

Here are some extra tips on how to develop the confidence to become a real friend-making machine:

  • Watch and learn from sociable people
  • Practice socialising
  • Listen, and don't always feel like you have to talk
  • Ask people about themselves

 

It's Bigger Than This

If you feel like a fear of socialising is affecting your life,  it might be worth talking to someone who can help. By talking to someone you trust, such as the school counsellor, you might get some unique strategies that will be tailored to the particular challenges you are facing when it comes to making friends