Spend time around people doing things you enjoy. If you've taken up a sport or hobby, go to club events, sporting meet-ups and competitions. Engage with people at these events to make connections. Take it slowly if you're hesitant, but allow yourself to connect and potentially click with people who like the same things that you do.

Go online and look for like-minded people. Even if you don't find friends in real life in any hurry, you can find many people online who share your thoughts, ideas and dreams about many things. You can develop very close and take things at your own pace and to withdraw whenever you need to do so. Online friendships are not as intimate as those in real life and usually won't solve loneliness completely, but are nonetheless a good way to feel connected and pass time.

Volunteer. Doing things that benefit your neighborhood like community service projects are a great way to meet people. Helping the less fortunate also allows you to step out of yourself and put things into perspective.

Try to make friends with an animal. You can go to your local animal shelter and get a dog or cat. Often, pets can act as a nexus of socialization. Having a pet gives you an excuse to get outside and talk to other pet owners that you meet on the streets or in the park.

Take a chance. Socializing is extremely difficult, and even the most social butterfly will find themselves in awkward situations regularly. To properly socialize, you must be willing to go out on a limb and take a risk. If you talk to the popular crowd at their table and they insult you, walk away and praise yourself for stepping into that lion's den. If you ask someone out and get rejected, praise yourself for having the bravery to admit your feelings.