8 unusual ways you can make friends with people in real life

It’s simple – all you want is a new bestie.

That person to sip hot chocolate with after a breakup, a gym buddy, or that special someone who’s there to binge-watch the latest TV series with you. You want a vibrant social life but when talking to someone seems like a social taboo, making a new friend begins to feel like a game of mission impossible.

We’ve resorted to meeting friends on apps so we forget that it’s possible to do it without our phone. You know, the old-fashioned way. But luckily, there are fool proof methods to make the magic happen with little effort.

Daily Hive teamed up with Mentos to compile this list of eight unusual things you can do to make friends.

Hang out with a dog

It doesn’t even need to be your own dog! It’s so true – it’s incredibly easy to meet someone when you’re with a puppy because pretty much everyone adores animals. Others will approach you without little hesitation, giving you the opportunity to strike up a conversation. You’ll see this happen everywhere you and your cute companion go – the elevator, the park, your favourite hiking trail, and the list goes on.

Join an improv club

It sounds a little scary but throwing yourself into the middle of a group of people and doing something random can be one of the most effective ways to make friends. You’re basically forced to be a little silly in front of other people, except this time it’s totally socially acceptable. You can find tons of free improv clubs, making it super simple to connect with the people around you.

Take up a new hobby

If there’s something you’ve wanted to try for a while, now’s the perfect time to make it happen. It’s actually not so difficult to make friends when you’re willing to do something that takes you out of your comfort zone. Whether that means learning to juggle or sew with a friendly group of people, you’ll warm up to others, and fast. And don’t worry – you’re not the only one who’s nervous.

Talk to people at the airport

Lots of people travel alone so they’re thankful when you strike up a conversation. See this as an invitation to open up to others, which you can even do once you’re on the plane. More often than not, you’ll find that you have something in common with that other person, and you’ll walk away with a contact you wouldn’t have had otherwise.

Go to a seminar

There are always several taking place around the city, and they’re a super easy way to make new friends. Many of them include ice breakers that will warm you up for situations in which it’s totally normal for you to approach others – even if you don’t know them at all. Make sure you show up with a business card so you can exchange numbers with people – it’s something you definitely won’t regret.

Compliment others

You won’t believe how easy it is to strike up a conversation when you compliment someone. Whether you’re giving them kudos for their sweater or their in-class presentation, you can simply carry on the conversation by asking them some questions about themselves. This one’s all about inclusiveness, so you can feel free to chat with more than one person at a time. As long as your compliments are genuine, and you’re more than likely to receive the same in return.

Offer someone a piece of gum

Did you know that gum has the potential to bring people together? In a study by Impact Research, 73% of people said chewing gum helped when approaching someone new, meaning they saw it as a confidence booster. So next time you want to make a new friend, try offering them a piece of Mentos Pure Fresh gum. In a world of square gums, this one stands apart with its iconic circular shape, not to mention its long-lasting freshness. The Mentos brand itself has a mission – to create connections between people, whether they’re strangers or old friends. We need more of that, don’t you think?

Meet the friendliest tourists ever

What if we told you that you meet actual Yetis IRL? These Yetis are not the solitary kind. Nor are they scary. (Well, unless if you’re allergic to fur.) They actually love to meet new people and create fresh connections. So much so that they’ve come aaaaaall the way from the other side of the galaxy – from Planet Pure Fresh, to be precise – to meet us Earthlings and introduce us to a national delicacy of theirs: Mentos Pure Fresh gum. You’re not going to want to miss them giving it away. You’ll get to meet them in Vancouver on October 5 at Kitsilano Beach, Canada Place, the Pacific Centre, and 28th Avenue at UBC (to keep up with them, follow @MentosCanada on Facebook and Instagram). Now that’s an encounter you don’t want to miss!

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To get started on your mission of making fresh connections with others in totally unique ways, just grab some Mentos Pure Fresh gum – just look for this distinctively curvy bottle. The gum itself is satisfyingly crunchy on the outside, and pillow-y soft on the inside, and comes in three long-lasting flavours: fresh mint, spearmint and cinnamon. See it as an opportunity to open up to the people around you, encourage spontaneity and give others the confidence they need to start a conversation. Mentos is a social brand, and you can’t be social on your own. Other brands often obsess over what makes everyone different. But Mentos prefers to explore the things we have in common – the things that connect us. When you think about it, every Mentos gum has the potential to connect two people. After all, who says no to Mentos gum?

To stay in the know about Mentos check them out on YouTube, Facebook and Instagram using the hashtag #hellofreshness.