How to Make Deep Friends as an Adult: 5 Essential Strategies
Making new friends as an adult can feel surprisingly complicated. Between packed schedules, work responsibilities, family obligations, and the quiet hum of social anxiety, the idea of forming deep connections can feel more like a distant dream than an achievable reality. But here's the truth. It's not only possible, it's essential for your mental health and overall well being.
Research consistently shows that strong social connections improve both physical and mental health, while chronic loneliness can be as harmful as smoking 15 cigarettes a day. The challenge isn't that adult friendship is impossible; it's that most of us don't know where to start.
At A Party of Eight, we believe adult friendship should feel natural and authentic, not forced or transactional. Our intimate gatherings are thoughtfully curated to remove social pressure and create space for genuine conversations, shared laughter, and meaningful connections.
5 Proven Ways to Build Deeper Adult Friendships
1. Prioritize Quality Over Quantity in Your Social Circle
Forget the pressure of maintaining 20 surface level friendships. Research from Robin Dunbar suggests we can only maintain about 5 truly close relationships at any given time.
Focus your energy on cultivating one or two deeply rooted connections rather than spreading yourself thin. These meaningful friendships will bring more joy, support, and sense of belonging than a large but shallow social network ever could.
2. Say Yes to Small, Intimate Gatherings
Large parties and networking events can feel overwhelming and impersonal, making it difficult to move beyond small talk. Smaller groups (ideally 6 to 8 people) create natural opportunities for deeper conversation and genuine connection.
This is exactly why we limit our dinners to eight women at a time. It's the sweet spot where everyone can participate meaningfully without feeling lost in the crowd.
3. Be the First to Show Vulnerability
Authentic connection requires mutual vulnerability, but someone has to go first. When you share something real about yourself (your challenges, hopes, or authentic experiences), you give others permission to do the same.
This doesn't mean oversharing on the first meeting, but rather being genuinely yourself instead of presenting a perfect facade.
4. Show Up Consistently for Your Friendships
Like any relationship worth having, adult friendships require consistent nurturing. Whether it's a monthly dinner, weekly coffee dates, or regular check ins, building rhythms and traditions allows your connections to deepen naturally over time.
Consistency builds trust, and trust is the foundation of every meaningful friendship.
5. Be Intentional About Friendship Building
Real friendship doesn't happen by accident. It requires intentional effort from both people. This means:
✅ Sending that text to check in
✅ Actually scheduling the coffee date you talked about
✅ Celebrating your friends' wins and supporting them through challenges
✅ Making time for connection, even when life gets busy
Where to Meet Like Minded Women for Friendship
One of the biggest challenges in adult friendship is simply finding your people. Women who share your values, interests, and life stage. Traditional advice like "join a book club" or "try a fitness class" doesn't work for everyone.
That's why we created A Party of Eight: a comfortable, judgment free space where women can meet naturally over a shared meal. No awkward icebreakers, no pressure to perform. Just authentic conversation and the possibility of genuine connection.
Ready to Build the Friendships You've Been Craving?
If you've been longing for deeper connections, you're not alone. You just haven't found the right environment yet, and that's exactly what we've designed A Party of Eight to be.
Reserve your seat at our next dinner. You never know who might be waiting to meet you, and more importantly, to truly know you.
Looking for more ways to build meaningful adult friendships? Subscribe to our newsletter for monthly tips on connection, community, and creating the social life you actually want.
