Don’t miss out on the life that’s going on around you! Follow these tips to feel more connected via social media after a move.
If your recent move has left you feeling lonely and a little isolated, you can keep in touch with friends from afar and find new ones right where you are.
With social media tools like Twitter, Facebook and Google+, you can access a world of connections in seconds. With these tools readily available through your smartphone, tablet and home computer, you’ll always feel connected — even in a new place.
Don’t miss out on the life that’s going on all around you! Use these tips to feel connected and make new friends fast.
Stay connected
Moving to a new place can be really exciting, but it can also be a bit overwhelming. You might feel cut off from your family and friends. When you get a case of the moving blues, it can be helpful to turn to social media to stay connected with your loved ones. With the power of Facebook and Twitter, everyone you want to keep up with is right at your fingertips.
There are many ways to use social media to stay connected beyond merely reading your feed and checking friend updates. If you’re lonely, you might want to set up a time each day or every few days to interact in “real time” via social media. Set up a Twitter party, Skype with your family, or arrange a video hangout on Google+. Set a time to chat over Facebook Messenger or G-chat with your best friend. Participate in a live chat session with several buddies during your favorite TV show, for instance, so you can all share the experience just as if you were physically close together.
Get connected
Social media can help you make and maintain friendships in the off-line world, too. When you nurture new online relationships, you might develop a digital friendship into one with a person who’ll go to the movies with you or hang out in your apartment. It all starts with making one connection online.
Try, for example, reading a local blog. Start following a person you find interesting — one with ties to your community — and engage in conversation with him or her. Post meaningful comments on his or her blog; send an email. Offer to be helpful, and add valuable information to the conversation. You may find that — with time, trust, and mutual interests — your online connection blossoms into a face-to-face connection.
Just as in real life, people in the online world respond to kindness and positivity. Use these keys as your guiding principles in online interactions, and you’ll find that you really can make actual, non-digital friends online.
Explore
When you’re making new connections online, you’ll start to learn about your neighborhood just by following others. Take note of the places they check in, the events they join and the local publications they read. In no time, you’ll get the inside scoop on great places to eat, shop, relax and meet new people. When you want to know what’s going on in your neighborhood, for instance, look no further than posts and pages about local events and landmarks.
Unplug to make real world connections
Social media can be a great tool to help you feel more connected, but it’s important to remember that it can also make you feel MORE isolated, too. And that’s why it’s a good idea to train yourself to stay away from it for at least a few hours a day. Make a conscious effort to “unplug” yourself from technology: don’t look at your computer or touch your phone — for a few hours each day. Try using that time to get out of the digital world and into the physical one!
Photo Credit: Shutterstock / Marish
