Friendship IRL: Real Talk About Friendship, Community, and What It Actually Takes
Alex Alexander
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Why (and How) You Should Start Initiating Recurring Social Gatherings
• 23 minFitting social gatherings into busy lives often isn’t easy, but let me remind you of their value: One of the longest studies on human connection found that adults who went to social gatherings regularly reported reduced levels of depression and better life satisfaction. The good news? You don’t have to wait for life to ease up or to get invited to see your people; you can start creating recurring friend gatherings right now, which is what I’m talking about in today’s episode. Not only will these gatherings help you keep up with friends – whether they be in your inner circle or neighbors you want to know better – they might even become your secret weapon for meeting new people in a low pressure way. In this episode you’ll hear about: My counterpoints to common fears about hosting (What if nobody shows up? What if my home’s not nice enough?)The value in starting small (just one or two people!) and simple, remembering that most people don’t remember the details of a gathering, only the emotional impactTactics for setting up recurring gatherings, such as locking in regular times or activities – plus, how my husband organizes regular movie nightsMaking gatherings easier for people to attend and enjoy (familiarity and comfort are key!) and host (popsicles, anyone?) Resources & Links Listen to Episode 6 about the six roles of hosting; Episode 91 about taking charge of your guest experience; Episode 111 about hosting perfectly imperfect (and consequently more frequent) gatherings; and Episode 155 about hosting on any budget. Like what you hear? Visit my website, leave me a voicemail, and follow me on Instagram and TikTok! Want to take this conversation a step further? Send this episode to a friend. Tell them you found it interesting and use what we just talked about as a conversation starter the next time you and your friend hang out!
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