I found getting involved in a regularly scheduled activity (weekly in my case) was the trick. For me, it was music performance, so I found an outlet through my church initially, and then eventually I found a civic group. Both meet once a week, so twice a week I can get out and interact with a group of people who share a common interest. The activity is uplifting in itself, and the friends I have made are invaluable.

What do you have an interest in that could perhaps put you out in a group of like-minded people? For my niece it is an exercise group. For another friend, he took up dancing (not something he had ever done before). Another friend habitually goes to the same coffee shop almost every morning and has found other people who do the same thing and has developed friendships there. Book clubs? Sports activities? Craft hubs? These places are out there, but you have to be willing to put yourself out there in those activities.