How to make friends: a guide for manifesting more meaningful relationships

Five steps for boosting your social life

Sex and the City
(Image credit: Alamy)

This Sunday, the clocks go forward, and while the weather isn’t exactly screaming “Spring,” park hangs, al fresco lunches and group getaways feel tantalisingly close. Warm weather tends to bring with it a flurry of social plans (as anyone who’s ever spent a summer—and a small fortune—wedding hopping can attest to), but it’d be amiss to assume that this is true for everyone.

We’re in the midst of a loneliness epidemic, with over half of UK adults lonelier than ever, according to research from OnePoll. It’s little surprise that Snapchat has said that 58% of women are more committed to prioritising friendships this year than romantic love.

The platform’s research highlights a growing trend among young women to prioritise real friendships, authentic connections, and platonic love this year, so with that in mind, we caught up with manifestation expert, Moon Onyx Starr, to find out how to make meaningful connections.

1. SET INTENTIONS

Girls

(Image credit: Alamy)

To manifest the friendships you desire, you first need to be clear on what you are looking for. Take time to understand yourself, your values, and what you seek in friendships. Make a list of everything you desire in a friendship and the qualities you are looking for. Now look at your list – how many of these qualities do you possess? Your vibe attracts your tribe, so if you desire more high-vibe friends – is it time to raise your own vibration to match what you desire?

2. BE AUTHENTIC

Friends

(Image credit: Alamy)

To attract genuine friendships, it is so important to be your true, most authentic self. There is absolutely no one else like you and that is your superpower. It is time to drop the facade and get real. Embrace vulnerability, communicate honestly and share your authentic self with others.

3. PRACTISE SELF LOVE

Girlfriends Tracee Ellis Ross

(Image credit: Alamy)

One of the top manifesting secrets is self-love - if you don’t believe you can have what you want, it will not come to pass. In life, you attract what you think you deserve, and this includes your friendships! Self-love is key to manifesting amazing friendships.

4. IDENTIFY PATTERNS AND RED FLAGS

Broad City

(Image credit: Alamy)

Reflecting on past friendships can help you to identify patterns and recurring challenges or conflicts. Remember, self-reflection is a powerful tool for personal growth. Take note of any red flags that appeared in friendships that didn’t stand the test of time.

5. PRACTISE GRATITUDE

The Golden Girls

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Whatever you are grateful for will grow. Gratitude is the number one secret to happiness and increased quality of life. The Law of Attraction emphasises that what you focus on expands. Gratitude shifts your focus from what you lack to what you have, helping to attract more positive experiences in your life. So, to manifest meaningful friendships and deepen your existing ones, start by appreciating the friendships in your life.

Mischa Anouk Smith
News and Features Editor

Mischa Anouk Smith is the News and Features Editor of Marie Claire UK.

From personal essays to purpose-driven stories, reported studies, and interviews with celebrities like Rosie Huntington-Whiteley and designers including Dries Van Noten, Mischa has been featured in publications such as Refinery29, Stylist and Dazed. Her work explores what it means to be a woman today and sits at the intersection of culture and style, though, in the spirit of eclecticism, she has also written about NFTs, mental health and the rise of AI bands.