What To Look For IN A Women’s Group

There are a lot of women’s groups out there. Women’s circles, book clubs, networking groups, fitness communities, retreats, wellness groups, moms groups…the list goes on.

But finding a women’s group isn’t necessarily the hard part. Finding one where you actually feel like you belong is. Because being surrounded by women doesn’t automatically mean you feel connected to them. I’ve been in rooms full of people where I felt completely alone, and I’ve also had conversations with one or two women that left me thinking, Yep. I needed that.

So if you’re wondering how to find a women’s group, or you’re thinking about joining one, here are a few things I think are worth looking for.

You Feel Welcome

This sounds obvious, but it isn’t always. When you’re new, does someone introduce themselves? Does someone make room for you in the conversation? Do you feel like people are genuinely happy you’re there?

A good community doesn’t make you feel like you have to earn your place. People notice people.

You Can Show Up as Yourself

I don’t think women need another place where we’re expected to have it all together. You shouldn’t have to be the right age, have the right job, wear the right clothes, have kids, not have kids, be super fit, or have an Instagram-worthy life to belong. We’re complicated. We can love wellness and still eat french fries. We can have successful careers and have absolutely no idea what we’re doing sometimes.

Find a group where there’s room for the whole you.

There’s More Than Small Talk

There’s nothing wrong with networking, but networking and community aren’t the same thing. A good women’s group gives you the opportunity to actually get to know people. The conversations eventually move past, “What do you do?” and into, “How are you doing?”

Some of the best connections happen after the official event is over, the conversation in the parking lot, coffee afterward, or the text you get later that night. That’s where friendship starts.

There’s Something to Do Together

I actually think having something to do together can make making friends as an adult easier. You don’t have to walk into a room thinking, Okay, I need to make a friend. You’re doing something together. Yoga. Hiking. Traveling. Cooking. Reading. Volunteering. Whatever it is.

The activity gets you in the room. The connection is what makes you want to come back.

You Leave Feeling Better Than When You Arrived

This might be the best test of all.

After spending time with the group, ask yourself: Did I laugh? Did I meet someone I want to see again? Did I feel comfortable being myself? Did I feel energized, supported or inspired Or did I leave feeling like I’d just spent two hours comparing myself to everyone else?

Pay attention to how you feel. Your body usually knows.

People Actually Show Up for Each Other

A community isn’t just about getting together when everything is fun. It’s remembering someone’s story, checking in when someone has had a hard week, celebrating the good stuff, making an introduction, saving someone a seat, or noticing when someone hasn’t been around.

Community is something we participate in, not something we consume. You don’t need to belong everywhere. Not every women’s group is going to be your group, and that’s okay.

Keep trying until you find the one where you start staying a little longer after the event because you don’t want the conversation to end. Where you recognize faces. Where people know your story. Where you laugh a lot. Where you can show up exactly as you are.

Eventually, you stop thinking, I’m going to a women’s group. You start thinking: I’m going to see my people.

And honestly? That’s what community is supposed to feel like. That’s what we are creating here at Megan Off The Mat. Come join us.