Where To Meet Women: Five Unique Places And Activities

It can be common to desire a special someone with whom to spend your time. If you’re interested in meeting incredible women or people in general, you might seek them out in places you regularly go to, various classes in your community, social events with friends, the library, or trivia nights. If you’re experiencing difficulty meeting people, or if feelings of social anxiety are getting in your way, you may benefit from working with a licensed therapist online.

1. Consider the places you already go

If your goal is to meet someone you can get along with and have an interest in, you might take a look at the people who frequent the same places you do. 

You may already know some of these people, depending on where you usually go. The place or activity where you met can be its own conversation. You might strike up a conversation about the amazing poem you just heard at the coffee shop or talk about the awful band that you just heard at the bar. 

Here are some practical tips for starting the conversation and keeping it going:

• Maintain good posture and make comfortable eye contact. 
• Introduce yourself.  
• Instead of just asking questions, share your observations and ask her opinion, too. For example, explain why you loved that amazing poem and ask what she thought about it. 
• Ask open-ended questions. Instead of simply asking “Do you like Thai food?” try asking “What’s your favorite type of food and why?”
• Open up about your own interests to create a “give and take” in the conversation.
• Pay attention to her words and body language to understand if she's engaged. 
• Don't use overly sexual references; let things evolve naturally. 

Determining where to socialize next

One interesting way to grow one of these relationships in a new and natural direction could be to identify someone who you see at one of your favorite places but not at another, and invite them to go with you to the other place. For example, you might see them outside of superhero movies, so you could ask them if they’d like to go to your favorite comic book store. You might see them at the gym, but do they know about your favorite jogging trail?

2. Take a local class

Taking a class can be a great way to meet new people, and you may even become more skilled and interesting in the process. Even if the right person doesn’t end up studying wine tasting with you, it may give you that much more of an edge when you do run into her. Classes can expand your social circle, making it easier and more likely to meet someone.

Because not all classes may be great social events in themselves, you may want to use the opportunity to meet new people and then ask them to do something outside of class, like study or practice the skills that you are learning.

3.Go with friends to bars, clubs, or social events

There’s a great French expression that translates to “The friends of our friends are friends.” The next time you see a friend post a Facebook event for a party, you might go ahead and click, “I’m going.”

Your friends’ social circles may overlap with yours, but it’s likely that their other friends or their significant other may bring along people you don’t already know. Because you may have mutual acquaintances, it can make going up to someone for that initial conversation a little easier.

Meeting people this way can be a good combination of the comfortable and the uncomfortable. Someone who has mutual friends with you is likely to have some things in common with you, but may also be just far enough outside of your usual social group to offer some adventure and intrigue.

4. Visit the library and take part in local activities

There tend to be very few distractions at libraries, potentially making them a great place for quiet conversation. Many of them also host a number of activities where you can meet other people and have insightful discussions, for example: 

• Book clubs and reading groups
• Classes and workshops
• Interest groups
• Author talks and panels
• Community volunteer events

Some libraries even have coffee shops where you might strike up a conversation with someone new.

5. Socialize at trivia nights

Many places host trivia nights, from libraries to restaurants. Many trivia gatherings are themed, which means the women there are probably already interested in at least one of the same things as you. A trivia night can be a great atmosphere for joking and casual conversation and may also be a good opportunity for you to show off your smarts.

Some people might find this idea intimidating, but you might try to keep in mind that there are a lot of things to know about. It’s like watching trivia shows on television – you may not know all of the answers, but every now and again, your area of expertise may pop up as a category, potentially giving you a chance to shine.

Therapy can help you gain confidence

If you feel nervous about approaching women or people in general, you’re not alone. It can be common to experience symptoms of social anxiety in this type of situation, including, but not limited to:

• Overwhelming feelings of fear and worry, even if you haven’t stepped out of the door yet.
• Overthinking/replaying social scenarios and conversations in your mind repeatedly.
• Trouble making eye contact.
• Rapid heartbeat or palpitations associated with social situations.
• Gastrointestinal distress
• Sweating, blushing
• Shaking or trembling
• Trouble swallowing, dry mouth

If you feel that anxiety is holding you back, it may be helpful to work with a therapist. Online therapy may be especially beneficial if you feel nervous talking to people because it can empower you to speak with a licensed mental health professional from the comfort of your home.

As one study explains, online therapy is generally as effective as in-person therapy. Please don’t hesitate to reach out and get the help you deserve if you feel you’d benefit from speaking with a therapist.