Finding New Friends

Finding New Friends During Your Transition to Sober Living

When you make the transition to your new sober living community, finding new friends is a crucial part of discovering how to move forward. You’ll understand new things about yourself and about living your life that may not be easy to get used to right away, but with a few friends in your corner, it won’t be as difficult as it seems.

Relating to Your Peers

The other people residing in the sober living community you move into will be in a similar situation as yourself. Some of them will be closer to leaving the community, and some may have more work to do than you before being able to transition in a normal living situation. They can relate to you on many levels, and you’re in a safe place to communicate and share with them. Finding new friends could be as easy as saying “hello.”

Get Involved

You won’t be able to interact with anyone if you never see or talk to anyone. Deciding how to start a dialogue is a lot simpler when you have a prearranged topic of conversation such as an activity, common interest, or even a support group. Learn about what your sober living community has to offer so you can get involved by finding new friends.

• Choose something that makes you feel at ease. You’ll be able to start conversations while you’re in your comfort zone instead of dealing with a new situation on top of finding new friends.
• Look for outdoor activities as well as things to do inside. You may find that moving around out in nature and getting some exercise releases endorphins that make you feel good about approaching new people.
• Don’t be afraid to try something new once you get settled. You may find that in finding new friends, you also find a new passion that you never imagined could be something you’d love.

Share and Connect

No matter how many activities you try and how much you get involved, you won’t be able to make any lasting connections unless you share with others. The best way to get involved is to talk about your experiences and open up in order to relate to the people around you. In the safe environment of your sober living community, you can share with people in a judgment-free zone and finding new friends you can relate to every day.

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