Getting closer to someone you sort-of know could also work wonders. "Look at what you do with your life and see if maybe there is potential to make friends there," suggests Lucy Atcheson , a counselling psychologist who also treats relationship issues. It’s probably not the most natural of things to start a conversation at the gym, but it might be more realistic to talk to someone you regularly see at class or on the bike next to you, and certainly easier than breaking the ice with a total stranger. "There are also the obvious things people always talk about, like joining a book club or something like that, which I think is a really good idea, but if people are pushed with time, striking up conversations with people they’re crossing paths a little bit already [can be a great idea]," Atcheson says.