Life in a luxury retirement community like Sonrisa Senior Living has so much to offer seniors and one of the greatest benefits is having so many peers close by. For those who are shy or introverted, however, taking advantage of this benefit can be challenging. Since everyone starts out as a stranger in a retirement community, following a few simple tips for breaking the ice will go a long way toward making new friends.
Make eye contact: Almost from the moment we are born, eye contact is an essential part of communication. Making eye contact is one of the essential ways to connect with another human being and can help to ease the way into a new relationship.
According to the article, betterhelp.com, “Using Eye Contact Attraction To Build A Relationship,” making eye contact has many benefits including building trust, showing interest and making others feel noticed. Conversely, intentionally avoiding eye contact sends a message that you are not interested in others, want to avoid others, or have bad news to share. So, when trying to meet new people in a retirement community, making eye contact is a great way to take the first step toward new friendships.
Smile often: When seeking new relationships in a retirement community, a smile is an essential tool. A smile is a powerful way to send the message that you are a happy and confident person who wants to share that with others like yourself. While there are many types of smiles conveying a variety of emotions from joy to contempt to misery, a truly genuine smile given freely to another person signals interest in them. The person who spreads smiles around a retirement community often appears more attractive and trustworthy to others, and physiologically, smiling can also have positive impacts on the immune system, longevity, and stress. Find out more about the benefits of smiling in the scienceabc.com article, “The Hidden Power of Smiling.”
Join in the fun: Making new friends in a retirement community can be greatly enhanced by making opportunities happen. Many great occasions to meet others are available through the many clubs and groups that meet there or in the local community. Seniors often have long-held interests like reading, gardening and other hobbies and can seek out or even start a group for others with the same interests. At Sonrisa Senior Living, our amenities make for great possibilities including joining a dance or yoga class in our studio, working out in the state-of-the-art fitness center, taking a water fitness class, or having fun participating in other wellness-based activities like pickleball, horseshoes, or bocce ball.
Just say “Yes!”: At Sonrisa retirement community, one sure way to make new friends is to simply say “Yes!” when invited to an event or activity. Maybe a neighbor wants to see a movie in the theater with you or asks you to join them and others meeting for an after-dinner drink in the Bistro Café. Just spending an afternoon at the pool with other residents can help bridge the gap between being a “newbie” and “one of the gang.” And there are even more benefits to just simply saying yes, as described in the medium.com blog, “Why There Is Power In Saying ‘Yes’ To Life.”
Find and share your passion: Retirement at Sonrisa means luxury living that offers tons of time for seniors to cultivate their passions and share what they love with others. From taking up a long-forgotten hobby, to volunteering to pursuing lifelong learning, there are so many options for active, vibrant seniors to make the most of life, keep their minds sharp and give back to others in and around their retirement community. Some capitalize on what they learned during their careers while others just enjoy the gratification of helping those less fortunate. Along the way, making new friends will be an added benefit for seniors to enjoy. Not sure how to find your path? Check out our blog, “Finding Passion and Purpose in Your Retirement Years.”
At Sonrisa Senior Living we want our residents to make their retirement years the best years of their lives, full to the brim with good friends and great times! To learn more about luxury living at Sonrisa, take a moment to view our gallery and contact us for a tour.
