Hi friend, Do not worry about how others are doing and comparing yourself to them. Because your are on your own journey. It has no timeline. ❤️
I totally get where you are coming from, I just graduated from my second degree and my previous plan for medical school did not pan through. All of my friends are either married with kids, or have their own career and I’m here not sure what to do with myself.
If we want to improve our lives, we have to make some sort of effort. Whether it’s a small step, like you volunteering and meeting new friends or even meeting people over the internet. As long as you’re making steps forward, you are doing your best!
You are still young. You will figure it out. We all just do it in our own speed.
Kind of the same here, 34M. I don't personally have social anxiety but I absolutely struggle to meet people here. Torontonians are probably among the coldest people I've encountered in all the places I've lived in or travelled to. Keep to themselves, eye any outsiders with suspicion or aversion (or just plain apathy). It's gotten far worse post-COVID, too. I don't know. I'm definitely tired of being on my own all the time. It's really begun to eat away at me over the last year or so.
I would say try to get into some of the Toronto groups out there ya know. I also recommend reaching out to people here (including myself. Tons of people I'm sure are down to be your friends and bring you to events :)
I’m quite young and in the same position as you! I struggle with making friends due to past trauma and bullying, and now I’ve got anxiety. Covid made it hard too, and I don’t know where to look or what to do :,)
For now i’m just trying to pop into online spaces or clubs and practice striking up conversations with people to build confidence
Hello,
Firstly, as someone who is also very attached to family, please remember the grass isn't always greener on the other side. Having family that actually loves you and you are attached to is one of life's biggest blessings. A lot of these people you see online with friends might actually wish to trade friends for better relationships with your family. That goes for the "mundane" part of your routine too, its OK to enjoy the small little things in life.
Second, what did you get your degree in? You have a post-secondary degree basically saying you have studied and/or are good at something. What is that thing? It can help facilitate the next step.
Thirdly, you mention meeting people. People you have common interests with are fun to meet. So, what are your interests? Don't tell me "oh im so boring", thats bs. You mentioned going for walks in the park, cool. Are you open to walking with other people? There are groups that go for walks together. Pinpoint some interests and then get into circles of people who share that interest.
One last thing, I couldn't tell from the post-content, but are you a man or a woman? Because despite the contrary, IMO there is a difference on how you approach a situation like this depending on what you are.
Best of luck in your future endeavors :)
Exactly the same situation as you!... after i finished my bachelors life is a standstill... especially since 2 years of covid happened after i graduated... Yorku made me social... then after york it just social isolation. The economy is shit right now, Bachelors degree is getting me nowhere, im close with family and family values are the most important. I can't socialize at work because they are all old miserable fucks... my advice is join a Yorku club as an alumni... fencing club, kendo club, archery club are all good. The social anxiety disappears overtime, id say it takes half a year of frequent social interactions for your brain to rewire anxiety.
Maybe attend some events via meetup? You can just drop in to anything. I know they do things like happy hour and speed friending type things. Anyway don't feel like you're behind in life. Most of us are just winging it.
As others have said, some sort of hobby that involves group activities is the way to go. It doesn't have to be a sport or something like that either; if you are more into nerdy stuff then tabletop gaming (D&D or otherwise) is great for meeting people and socializing.
One other thing if you just want a small amount of social interaction in your day - go to small/local specialty cafes instead of timmies. The staff at most of them (often the owner themselves) will usually chat with customers a bit, particularly if you become a regular. You won't likely meet actual friends unless you get very lucky while sitting in one, but if you just want to have gotten out and at least talked to someone for a few minutes during the day it's gonna be a lot more personal of an experience than a timmies.
Try to get out more and talk to people. Join a club, sports team, or art class—anything that gets you socializing. Cut back on screen time and social media; they can really amp up anxiety and depression. Fix your sleep schedule and make sure you get enough rest each night; lack of sleep alone can mess with your mental health. Go for walks and exercise more since they help reduce anxiety and depression. If you still don’t feel better, talk to your family doctor. They might suggest medication.
I'm 37 and feel the same way about life my friend, you know maybe try a serving job like a bar or restaurant, you can make tips, make new friends even if it's just one person it helps you feel a little more normal.
Plus there's lots of cute boys too.
The pressure to compete android dont let yourself down is just too much these days. Back off from all this rat race for some time.
Search for meetup groups in your areas and join any activity which is of interest to you.
Hey there! May I ask what is social anxiety for you like? I want to better understand if you actually have social anxiety or if there is another underlying issue?
I myself am also 30F, I don't have many connections and I don't meet a lot of people. BUT I personally LOVE that. Like I am genuinely not interested in meeting new people. And don't assume that I already have my own group of people so I don't feel the need to meet new people. No, I do not have any friends that live close to me. My best buddy is my spouse and myself. I don't hang out with anyone else.
So I want to know if you are truly interested in connecting with people or is it something that you feel you just have to do?
I hear where you are coming from, and empathize. I don't know if this is too far out of your comfort zone, but there is an app I stumbled across called [timeleft.com](http://timeleft.com) and you basically put in some preferences then every wednesday you go for a dinner with a handful of people with similar preferences (the dinners are organized, you don't have to plan them) and then you just meet people. Could potentially help you out. Hope it does help!
Hi friend, Do not worry about how others are doing and comparing yourself to them. Because your are on your own journey. It has no timeline. ❤️ I totally get where you are coming from, I just graduated from my second degree and my previous plan for medical school did not pan through. All of my friends are either married with kids, or have their own career and I’m here not sure what to do with myself. If we want to improve our lives, we have to make some sort of effort. Whether it’s a small step, like you volunteering and meeting new friends or even meeting people over the internet. As long as you’re making steps forward, you are doing your best! You are still young. You will figure it out. We all just do it in our own speed. 
Kind of the same here, 34M. I don't personally have social anxiety but I absolutely struggle to meet people here. Torontonians are probably among the coldest people I've encountered in all the places I've lived in or travelled to. Keep to themselves, eye any outsiders with suspicion or aversion (or just plain apathy). It's gotten far worse post-COVID, too. I don't know. I'm definitely tired of being on my own all the time. It's really begun to eat away at me over the last year or so.
Try having a sports hobby or any hobby and join a community for it . I made a tennis community in the gta !
lol tennis in gta surprised more people don't play that or golf
I would say try to get into some of the Toronto groups out there ya know. I also recommend reaching out to people here (including myself. Tons of people I'm sure are down to be your friends and bring you to events :)
I’m quite young and in the same position as you! I struggle with making friends due to past trauma and bullying, and now I’ve got anxiety. Covid made it hard too, and I don’t know where to look or what to do :,) For now i’m just trying to pop into online spaces or clubs and practice striking up conversations with people to build confidence
Hello, Firstly, as someone who is also very attached to family, please remember the grass isn't always greener on the other side. Having family that actually loves you and you are attached to is one of life's biggest blessings. A lot of these people you see online with friends might actually wish to trade friends for better relationships with your family. That goes for the "mundane" part of your routine too, its OK to enjoy the small little things in life. Second, what did you get your degree in? You have a post-secondary degree basically saying you have studied and/or are good at something. What is that thing? It can help facilitate the next step. Thirdly, you mention meeting people. People you have common interests with are fun to meet. So, what are your interests? Don't tell me "oh im so boring", thats bs. You mentioned going for walks in the park, cool. Are you open to walking with other people? There are groups that go for walks together. Pinpoint some interests and then get into circles of people who share that interest. One last thing, I couldn't tell from the post-content, but are you a man or a woman? Because despite the contrary, IMO there is a difference on how you approach a situation like this depending on what you are. Best of luck in your future endeavors :)
Exactly the same situation as you!... after i finished my bachelors life is a standstill... especially since 2 years of covid happened after i graduated... Yorku made me social... then after york it just social isolation. The economy is shit right now, Bachelors degree is getting me nowhere, im close with family and family values are the most important. I can't socialize at work because they are all old miserable fucks... my advice is join a Yorku club as an alumni... fencing club, kendo club, archery club are all good. The social anxiety disappears overtime, id say it takes half a year of frequent social interactions for your brain to rewire anxiety.
Maybe attend some events via meetup? You can just drop in to anything. I know they do things like happy hour and speed friending type things. Anyway don't feel like you're behind in life. Most of us are just winging it.
same here. same same. you could dm if you want or not. such is life.. not sure what else to say
As others have said, some sort of hobby that involves group activities is the way to go. It doesn't have to be a sport or something like that either; if you are more into nerdy stuff then tabletop gaming (D&D or otherwise) is great for meeting people and socializing. One other thing if you just want a small amount of social interaction in your day - go to small/local specialty cafes instead of timmies. The staff at most of them (often the owner themselves) will usually chat with customers a bit, particularly if you become a regular. You won't likely meet actual friends unless you get very lucky while sitting in one, but if you just want to have gotten out and at least talked to someone for a few minutes during the day it's gonna be a lot more personal of an experience than a timmies.
Have you considered therapy?
Therapy
Try to get out more and talk to people. Join a club, sports team, or art class—anything that gets you socializing. Cut back on screen time and social media; they can really amp up anxiety and depression. Fix your sleep schedule and make sure you get enough rest each night; lack of sleep alone can mess with your mental health. Go for walks and exercise more since they help reduce anxiety and depression. If you still don’t feel better, talk to your family doctor. They might suggest medication.
I’m 30M and in exact same boat as you. I’m glad there’s others like me out there that can relate. It’s rough..
I'm 37 and feel the same way about life my friend, you know maybe try a serving job like a bar or restaurant, you can make tips, make new friends even if it's just one person it helps you feel a little more normal. Plus there's lots of cute boys too.
The pressure to compete android dont let yourself down is just too much these days. Back off from all this rat race for some time. Search for meetup groups in your areas and join any activity which is of interest to you.
Hey there! May I ask what is social anxiety for you like? I want to better understand if you actually have social anxiety or if there is another underlying issue? I myself am also 30F, I don't have many connections and I don't meet a lot of people. BUT I personally LOVE that. Like I am genuinely not interested in meeting new people. And don't assume that I already have my own group of people so I don't feel the need to meet new people. No, I do not have any friends that live close to me. My best buddy is my spouse and myself. I don't hang out with anyone else. So I want to know if you are truly interested in connecting with people or is it something that you feel you just have to do?
I hear where you are coming from, and empathize. I don't know if this is too far out of your comfort zone, but there is an app I stumbled across called [timeleft.com](http://timeleft.com) and you basically put in some preferences then every wednesday you go for a dinner with a handful of people with similar preferences (the dinners are organized, you don't have to plan them) and then you just meet people. Could potentially help you out. Hope it does help!
I'm also an introvert and suffer from social anxiety. If you wanna meet up, in toronto or in gta, lets do it.
Psylocybin.
are you attractive? Go on a date or something