5 Tips for Building Social Connection in Nashville
Howdy! Sam DiMartino, here, excited to introduce myself as your Client Journey Liaison here at The Gaia Center!
You may be familiar with me (I may even be your therapist 😎) but in this role I will be working towards providing you, and all our clients, the best possible experience possible in your healing journey. As part of this new role, I’ll be hopping onto the blog regularly to share some resources with you that we love.
This month, I want to share some of our favorite resources for meeting new people and expanding your social circle in Nashville.
We all probably want to feel a little more connected to each other these days - or maybe we really don’t because meeting people is terrifying… but we know we probably need to get out there a little more. I get it. But the good news is that you don’t have to just go around approaching strangers in the grocery store asking them to be your friend, there’s resources and tools out that can make it easier!
FolxTable
On FolxTable, you can buy a seat ($10-$20) at the table for coffee, a meal, or drinks to meet up and get to know strangers (or… new friends? 👀) at a spot in your neighborhood. But you don’t just sit down and take on all the pressure of breaking the ice yourself, FolxTable provides conversation topics and games to start conversation and keep it going. We also love FolxTable for their emphasis on inclusivity. Signing up is free and you pay for your own meal. Here’s a video from FolxTable explaining their mission and service.
TimeLeft
Also worth checking out is TimeLeft, which is a service very comparable to FolxTable – you purchase a seat to have a meal with their strangers, if you’re looking for even more dates and times to check out. Plus, it’s available in more cities other than just Nashville, which is pretty cool.
BumbleBFF
Have you ever thought, “Gee, I wish there was something like a dating app but just for making friends, not dating”? Enter, BumbleBFF. BumbleBFF works largely like regular Bumble, but solely serves to match people with prospective friends. It is free to join and use, but offers additional, but non-critical, features with a premium subscription. Of course, your mileage may vary and the format affords you both the pros and several of the cons of a dating app, but with a tendency to be lower stakes. And hey, if you’re a proficient and comfortable swiper already, what have you got to lose?
Meetup
Meetup is super straightforward, just find an event that interests you and sign up! Most events are free and you can often find a group or event for something you're interested in. We know it can be way easier to connect with someone over a shared interest or value. From board games, sports, arts & crafts, education, spirituality - Meetup is likely to have an event near you, for you. It’s also great that there are events not just in Nashville proper, but in surrounding area (and other cities!) as well.
Volunteering
Volunteering can be a great (and easy to forget) way to connect with others - maybe even over a shared value or cause that’s important to you! Hands On Nashville is the place to check out for local volunteer opportunities.
