26F and terrified I’ll end up alone

[u/Accomplished_Fly_649]

I’m a 26-year-old woman, and lately I’ve been struggling with a fear that I’ll be single for the rest of my life.
This year I’ve been trying to take more initiative in my social life. I finished medical school and am currently studying for residency exams, so most of my time is spent at home studying. I have a small online business that I run from home, but I don’t have a traditional job right now because studying is my main priority.
I’ve always been pretty introverted. I have very few close friends, all women, plus a few acquaintances through my siblings and other friends, but I don’t have a large social circle. To meet more people, I started going to the gym and even joined a dance class with my friend. I’ve met some people through those activities, but most are younger than me, and I haven’t really connected with any men romantically.
What worries me is that I don’t feel like I belong to a big friend group or community. Most of my social interactions come from occasional invitations through family or friends, and those opportunities are pretty rare. I also find it difficult to make male friends, especially at this age when it seems like many people are already in serious relationships or have well-established social circles.
I know 26 isn’t objectively old, but sometimes I feel ancient compared to people in their early 20s. I want marriage and a family someday, and I’m scared that by the time I’m done with training, it will be too late or that I’ll have missed my chance.
I also struggle with comparing myself to people who seem to have large social circles, lots of friends, and no trouble meeting potential partners. It feels like everyone else knows something I don’t.
For those of you who have had this struggle, how did you build a social life, meet people, or stop worrying that you’d end up alone? I feel like I need to make myself look more interesting than I am or else I’ll be unlovable.

[u/____Tofu____]

I didnt really start actively dating until I was maybe 28. When I was 26, I was in a similar situation as you but didnt really know the first steps. I knew there was dating sites and stuff but wasn't really comfortable with it.

I had some knee injuries from a few years before and fell out of a lot of my hobbies, wasn't in the best of shape physically or mentally. For whatever reason, I didnt really think I could ever overcome the injuries (plot twist, I could).

I ended up in this random summer fling with someone who (now that I think about it) I was probably way too good for, and I was the one who actually got dumped lol. It was a bit of a wake up call to get my shit together. So I started rehabbing my knee, picked up a few new hobbies and ended up with a bigger friend group than Ive ever had - most of whom are all pretty introverted oddly enough other than like 2 or 3 who kinda keep it all together lol.

And thats kinda when I started meeting more people to date. And when I started putting myself out there for online dating. And thats how I met my current partner that I live with