6 Women Share How They Met and Formed Lifelong Friendships After 30

It's no secret that making friends after 30 can be difficult for many. The number of friends you make after 25 drastically decreases according to a 2016 study conducted by scientists in Finland. And it's certainly not uncommon to lose many of the friends you made as a young adult as your interests change and people's lives go in different directions. Careers and family schedules often become the center of our lives, making it difficult to cultivate new relationships and grow social circles in adulthood.

But just because it's difficult to make friends after 30 doesn't mean it's impossible. While one 2020 study found that more than 3 in 5 Americans consider themselves lonely, citing a lack of social support and meaningful interactions as the main cause, it certainly doesn't have to be that way. Cultivating friendship is an investment of your time. Yes, it can actually take up to 50 hours with someone before you consider a person a casual friend and up to 200 hours before you’re likely to consider someone a close friend. But there are ways to speed up the process, according to experts.

“Vulnerability can speed it up. Speaking affirmations, seeking support and finding support are great for building friendships," Marisa D. Franco, Ph.D., psychologist and friendship expert, tells Woman's Day.

Dr. Franco says that when someone asks how you are doing, be honest about what’s going on as opposed to just saying you’re fine. You won’t forget those who support you in moments of need and vice versa, she explains. And while opening up and allowing yourself to be vulnerable in the pursuit of friendship can be difficult, Franco says it all hinges on your mindset. When you automatically assume people are trustworthy and like you, you set yourself up to succeed when cultivating and maintaining a friendship. After all, most people are cheering you on, hoping you'll succeed.

Yes, it might be harder to make new friends now versus the days of shared firsts and scheduled playdates, but the following women are proof that making friends after 30 isn't impossible and, for many, those friendships can last forever.