Is one of your New Years resolutions to get out and meet more people? CBC Saskatchewan asked three people their advice for making new friends in 2020.

Tanya Rogeschewsky has seen first hand how alone people in Regina can feel.

"There's a sort of crisis of loneliness for a lot of people," Tanya Rogoschewsky said. "We know that's such an important part of our physical and mental well-being."

Rogoschewsky works for the Regina Public Library. She organized a 'speed friending' event held in 2019. She said there are many reasons people may not have a strong community, including people move more frequently than they used to.

The Regina Public Library hosts a variety of book clubs that can be found on their website at reginalibrary.com (Maggie Macintosh/CBC)

It's hard for adults because it can be difficult to take friendships past the surface conversations, she said. People need to spend time with each other and can by joining groups.

"It can be really hard and tiring," she said. "The best thing to do is to find the things that you like doing anyway and those activities take you to meet new people."

For those nervous to meet new friends, Rogoschewsky suggests asking people questions about themselves.

"Being the person that asks questions makes you seem like the most interesting person in the world," she said. "But also lets you be a little more introverted."

Online meeting groups to bring people together

"People get accustomed to a lifestyle maybe that a little more sedentary — they kind of focus on family and work and next thing you know they've got time and freedom and the desire to do something and don't know how to go about finding activities," Kent Krall said.

Krall started the group 'Wannado' on Meetup.com. He wanted a social group as opposed to a singles group. It includes dancers, foodies and more. Ten years later the group has more than 1,700 members who have hosted more than 2,000 events combined.

Meeting new people can be intimidating, Krall said.

"We've all been there," Krall said. "I was nervous too — we all started in the same spot. So don't worry about the first couple minutes it'll go by quickly. After that you have found yourself a whole bunch of new friends to do things with."

The People Who Chill (19+) Facebook group meets up for dinners, trivia nights, movies, and more. (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

About a year and a half ago, Kenton De Jong saw a need to bring people together. He started the Facebook group People who Chill (19+), which now has about 400 people. They do trivia nights, speed friending, movie nights, suppers, road trips and more.

"I go to work all day, then I go home and I'm tired — but sometimes I'm lonely because I'm not interacting with people," de Jong said.

For people who are feeling anxious, de Jong advised talking about what you're interested in. For people who are nervous about going out in person, de Jong said a number of his friends have used the App Bumble BFF to start conversations.

"Also don't be afraid to say step out of your bubble a bit and try new ideas, try new things," he said.

Consider joining a club:

Newcomers Club — A group of people that wanted to get together started the group more than 50 years ago. They host events each month including bowling, coffee exploring, a couples social, dinner socials, games nights, movie nights, a photography/walking club and wine tasting.

Join the Cook Book Club — Not a big reader but a cooking fan? This monthly meeting focuses on cook books, disasters and triumphs in the kitchen. The next meeting is at Connaught Library on Sunday, Jan. 12 at 2:30 p.m. CST, followed by one on Jan. 22 at 7 p.m. CST at the Prince of Wales Library Branch of the Regina Public Library. .

Regina Rec League — Eleven different sports and activities that are on every night of the week. There's a variety of sports so people can find one they're interested in and take part in.

Podcast Club — A group that meets monthly to talk about favourite podcasts. They have a playlist set up on podcastbrunchclub.com. The next meeting is at the central branch of Regina Public Library on Jan. 11.

Chewsday Challenge — Board game enthusiasts get together each week to play and meet new people. They meet at Boston Pizza North at 6:30 p.m. CST. Their next meeting is Tuesday, Jan. 7.

Regina Amateur Radio Association — This group meets once a month and talks old radios, circuitry, community radio and more. They meet at the Regent Branch of the Regina Public Library.

Regina Ski Club — The club welcomes advanced and novice cross-country skiers. They have races every Wednesday night for as long as there is snow on the ground.

Regina Ballroom Dance Club — They host casual social dances every two weeks at Lakeview United Church. The next dance is at 7:30 p.m. CST on Jan. 11.

Wascana Parkrun — A group that comes together each Saturday at 9 a.m. for a 5 km run. Each person is timed and they recommend running at your own pace!

Ink Prints Writing Group — A support group for emerging writers. It's hosted at the Prince of Wales Library at 7 p.m. CST. The next meeting is Jan. 9.

KidLit Book Club for Adults — People come together to chat about their favourite children's books that month. It's hosted at the Sunrise Branch of the Regina Public Library at 7 p.m. CST.

Family History Group — This group is for people interested in genealogy. The group meets at the Glen Elm Library at 7 p.m. CST. The next meeting is on Wednesday, Jan. 15.

Prairie Gold Chorus — A local chapter of Sweet Adelines that always welcomes new members. They practice at 1415 B Albert Street at 7 p.m. CST every Tuesday.

Meet people on your mobile phone:

People Who Chill: Regina (19+) — This group was created by Kenton De Jong. It has almost 400 members with meetups twice a month usually.

WANNADO! Meetup group — The group was created by Kent Krall 10 years ago. It has hosted over 2,000 events so far and new members are welcome.

Bumble BFF — People can swipe through different profiles of potential friends to find one they connect with.

In the Summer, break out your bike:

Wascana Freewheelers Bike Club — A social group that bikes every Wednesday at 7 p.m. CST and usually ends the ride at a cafe or ice cream shop. They also have other rides for people interested.

Regina Cycle Club — A group that comes together to race on road, gravel and ride cross.

Bike Regina — A social club and advocacy group that organizes bike rides in Regina.