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I do my best to attend social events and I’ve taken up regular activities, but I can’t make new relationships stick. How can I improve my chances?I left the UK to move abroad in early 2020, leaving behind (geographically speaking) the close friendships I had made in my formative years. Now, in my 30s, I am struggling to convert casual acquaintances into meaningful friendships. I work from home and I live alone, so to compensate I attend various social events and regular activities. I have met people I like and who seem to like me, but it never gets past the fledgling friendship stage – hanging out a couple of times before it fizzles out and we lose touch. The lack of close friendships is making me feel lonely and unfulfilled; something I once had is missing from my adult life. What can I do to improve my chances of building better, closer friendships?There is a sense of yearning in your letter to which many people will relate. The need to belong, to be accepted and approved of by others, has long been recognised by psychologists as a powerful human motivator. It sounds as though friendship has come easily to you previously, so this challenge may have taken you by surprise. Continue reading...