It's said that making friends gets harder when you get older. People settle into their existing friendships during childhood or at university. However, new research suggests that's not what happens. According to a recent survey, the age group that feels least confident in chatting to strangers is those aged 18 to 24. Similarly, it was found that 59% of Millennials   (千禧一代) spend more time chatting to friends on social media than they do seeing them in person

Author and expert on friendship, Kate Leaver, said, "Young people are not confident when speaking to strangers not only because they're afraid of refusal, but also because they've really been socially conditioned not to. Previous generations had a much stronger sense of community in public, shared spaces. We don't have as much access (接近) to that because the way we structure our modern lives means we are less in touch with our communities. Shared public spaces like parks and libraries - places where people might get close to a stranger - are being shut down."

Laura, 27, hates meeting new people. The majority of her friends are from university days. "I'm pretty chatty and open when I get to know someone, but during that first meeting, I'm very shy. I get very anxious about what to talk about, and people judging me or just not understanding my sense of humor."

But not all young people feel the same way. Hayley, 31, regularly meets people in unusual ways and makes friends with them. "I became good friends with someone who I met on the plane," she said. "It just shows how you can really connect when you're offline."

If you're comfortable with your present friendship situation, that's great. But, if you do want to enlarge your social circle, here are some tips. Avoid unpleasant silences by searching for people with common interests - join a book club or a local sports team. If it is too stressful, there are some friendship apps that you can use.Or, strike up a conversation with someone in a public place.

Here's a surprising truth—one of the most powerful weapons to enhance your life is your own tongue!

【小题1】 Concentrate on the qualities of other people that you can affirm instead of on their faults.This alone should do wonders in relieving stress in your relationships.Doctors know that prolonged anxiety harms you，but encouraging words can remove stress and a peaceful mind leads to improve physical health，too.【小题2】

Avoid fueling verbal fire.When someone starts to blow up all at you，be careful about your response.Why burn your relationship house down with your own mouth？Try spraying water on an argument with calm words instead of using a flamethrower.How many marriages have been destroyed when in a fit of anger people spew out hurtful accusations to one another that are never forgotten！【小题3】 “A soft answer turns away wrath(狂怒)，but a harsh word stirs up anger.”

Stop complaining.We all know people who complain all the time，especially about the fault of others.【小题4】 Nothing is ever going well for them，and probably nothing ever will—as long as they keep complaining and putting their energy on what they really don't want.

Do think before you speak.【小题5】 It is useless regretting.It doesn't matter how unintentional they may be，words can sometimes cut a lot deeper than a sword.Very often you'll hear people say，“I didn't mean to hurt your feelings.”Well，if you didn't want to hurt feelings why couldn't you be thoughtful before you let the unpleasant words escape your loose lips?

How to Rebuild Trust—Taking Responsibility for Your Actions

Maybe you lied to your sweetheart, stole the guy or girl your friend had an eye on. Trust between two people means that they can be vulnerable with each other. Maintaining trust is very important to having satisfying relationships. Losing trust is a two-way street, and so is rebuilding it. 【小题1】 Here’s what you need to do from some angles.

Come clean.

If you have betrayed someone, coming clean at your own expense tells the other person that their well-being is more important than your own. 【小题2】 Even if there are parts that you can keep hidden without getting caught, you should still reveal them to the other person. Only in admitting all your mistakes can you be forgiven for all of them.

Expect an emotional reaction from the other person.

【小题3】 On the contrary, you can expect an emotional outburst—yelling, crying, and so on—from the other person when she hears you admit your betrayal. But remember, the best way to move on is by putting it all into the open.

Apologize.

【小题4】 How you approach saying your apology will influence whether or not the apology is accepted and you both can move on.

【小题5】

When you violate someone’s trust, you may feel so regretful that you have a hard time forgiving yourself for the violation. While a repentant heart is an essential part of making up with the person you betrayed, you also need to accept and learn to forgive yourself after you put the effort into making amends.