Branching out

When romance couldn’t be further from your mind, Valentine’s Day may feel as though it’s just a commercial pain in the neck. Even if love isn’t in the air, reconnecting with old friends or making new ones can be fun.

Not everyone has family and friends on their doorstep but keeping in touch with those not close by or forging new friendships is a great way to keep active physically and mentally.

Consider volunteering
There are many organisations that are simply crying out for people to help. If you have a particular skill then you can offer this, or why not use the volunteering opportunity to learn something new?  Simply giving your time is of great benefit to any organisation, so don’t be put off if you consider your particular skills irrelevant. Why not contact your favourite charitable organisation to see if it needs some extra help? Or visit Volunteering Australia for more information.

Take a trip
Even if money is tight, there’s always opportunities available to get away for a few nights. Youth hostels are not just for young people, they welcome guests of any age and are great places to meet new and interesting friends. To find out more about youth hostels, visit Youth Hostels Australia.

Virtual communication
Thanks to the growing means of communication, the world is getting smaller every day. If you can’t be with family and friends regularly, keep in touch by Skype, email, Facebook or any of the other online communication tools. If you’re not sure how to get started, read our article, Connection through communication. 

Join a club
Getting out there and learning something new will not only help you make friends, but you’ll also have the opportunity to add another spring to your bow. Perhaps you’re interested in making more of your computer or think it’s finally time to take that fine arts course you have always dreamed about. There are many options available to suit your needs and budget. Find out more by reading YOURLifeChoices article, Making friends at any age.