Experts Share Strategies for Building Strong Adult Friendships

From being 'aggressively friendly' to tailoring plans, these tips can help foster meaningful connections.

Jan. 27, 2026 at 10:55am

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With loneliness on the rise, experts who study and facilitate friendships share advice for building strong adult bonds. Strategies include being proactive about making plans, customizing activities to individual preferences, asking for help, and integrating friendship into existing routines. Joining the right kind of group, and preparing thoughtful conversation topics, can also boost connection.

Why it matters

Fostering close friendships in adulthood is increasingly challenging as traditional 'third places' for socializing disappear and the pandemic has disrupted many relationships. However, experts say that with intentionality, it's possible to develop the kind of meaningful platonic bonds that are so important for wellbeing.

The details

Experts recommend an 'aggressive' approach to friendship, where one person consistently reaches out to make plans. Tailoring activities to individual preferences, whether that's doing 'shoulder-to-shoulder' activities for men or finding the right group setting, can also help. Asking for help from friends and integrating friendship into daily routines are other key strategies.

  • The number of Americans reporting no close friends has tripled since 1990, rising from 3% to 12%.

The players

Richard Reeves

President of the American Institute for Boys and Men, a think tank, and author of 'Of Boys and Men'.

Liv Schreiber

Founder of Camp Social, an adult summer camp for women.

Jaimie Krems

Director of the UCLA Center for Friendship Research.

Danielle Bayard Jackson

A friendship coach.

Kim Evensen

Founder of Brothers, a nonprofit focused on male friendship.

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What they’re saying

“My mantra is, 'Don't wait, initiate.'”

— Liv Schreiber, Founder of Camp Social

“We think that asking our friends for help will burden them. That is completely untrue. Think about how joyous we'd feel if our friend asked us for help and we were able to do it.”

— Jaimie Krems, Director of the UCLA Center for Friendship Research

“I realized that if I want to have friendships that make me healthier and stronger as a man, I need to set a different standard than what the culture around me sets as the standard.”

— Kim Evensen, Founder of Brothers

The takeaway

Building strong adult friendships requires intentionality and a willingness to step outside one's comfort zone. By taking proactive steps like making plans, customizing activities, and asking for help, people can foster the meaningful connections that are so important for wellbeing.