The ABC crowd-sourced for suggestions on how middle-aged men (and women) can make and maintain friendships. The main theme they found was that it involved ‘joining in’ – with groups and activities; they provide a good list of suggestions.

The reason for the article was due to a report on Men’s Social Connectedness and how they have difficulty opening up to others and reaching out for support in times of loneliness and emotional distress. It’s not always so simple and easy for some to jump into ‘joining in’. What can help though is getting outside and having a change of scenery. Sometimes just popping into local shops and having a look around or taking a walk around the local streets and greeting neighbours can be a good way to starting broadening your network and opening gateways to feeling a bit more socially connected. Start small and then build up. All you need to start with is just one person – just get out there and give it a go … and yes, if getting out there and going it alone feels initially too scary, then that first person you start with could even be me and we can work on it together.