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Passport to friendship: The Travel Deck & Summer Retreats
(3 min read) Your guide to making sure your travel plans this summer include making friends along the way — and a recipe for finding retreats where all your future friends are hanging out
The newcomer’s shortcut to deeper connection
(3 min read) Tips for honoring the depth of an existing conversation or friend group, and how to smoothly and quickly become a part of it.
“Wanna meet my AI friend?” he asked…
(4 min read) What happened when I (a friendship author) and a virtual 'AI friend' meet in real time and answer the same Q&A question.
How to ask your friend not to bring their kid
(3 min read) Ideas for compromising with a friend who keeps wanting to bring their kid — and tips for setting a boundary when kids aren’t welcome.
Organic Friendship 101
Yearning for organic friendship? Here’s what “organic friendship” really means, and how to actually achieve it.
27+ Places You Deserve
You’ve heard about "third places" — the spots for connecting with people outside of home and work. Here are 27+ other places you deserve, too.
How to reply to “How are you?” or “How have you been?”
Answers to “how have you been”, replies to “how are you”, and tips for giving answers that create the kind of conversation you actually want to be in
How to make friends in a new country: Finding connection when you barely speak the language
Today’s reader wants to know how to make friends as an expat living in a new country where they barely speak the language. Read for tips about how to make friends in a new country.
Books about friendship for adults
All the books in this roundup will give you fresh perspectives to approach your friendships during adulthood, while also helping you boost your skills at making and keeping friends.
Focus on the Cake
If you struggle with friendship because it feels like so much hard work, this mini-podcast is for you (max 3 minutes listening time). Read or listen now
Friendship Affirmations to Start Practicing Today
If you’re having trouble believing that you’re worthy of friendship, or if you find it hard to believe that the kinds of friendships you want are possible to create, practice saying these friendship affirmations daily.
From #@&% to YES! The email introduction method loved by millions
(5 min read) The only way to respectfully e-introduce two busy people while strengthening your relationships with them at the same time.
How to plan trips with friends?
Today’s reader wants to travel with friends but is feeling overwhelmed by the planning steps, especially when people flake after they said they were in. Read for tips on successfully planning a vacation with friends or friend groups.
Navigating “pink flags” and cultivating an outer circle
Today we're tackling a subscriber’s question about how to handle those friendships that fall somewhere in the middle — they’re not fit for your inner circle but also not worth cutting out of your life completely. What do you do with these people? Read or listen now to find out.
Burnout Buddies, Layoff Etiquette, and Multiple Career Personality
Friendship and burnout: How friends can help each other cope with burnout • What to do if your friend gets laid off • Scripts for connecting with a work friend • How to be a good friend to yourself when your career trajectory isn't easy to explain to yourself or others • Closing dedication to my dearly departed friend and mentor Hugh Weber
Community for word nerds
An homage to bookish people and places. Plus, tips for starting a book club, and alternatives to book clubs
Get paid to make friends. Seriously.
Yeah, you read that right. Learn how you can receive literal free money to make friends in your local community.
3 ways to step away from a friendship gracefully
How to step back and end a friendship that’s fizzling or unhealthy without ghosting or acting like a jerk
Stuff to do with friends
(3 min read) Friend dates are one of the most fun ways to keep your friendships strong. But if your mind goes blank when it's time to think of things to do with your friends, you're in luck! Today, we're digging into Friend Date Ideas — mostly free stuff to do with your friends to bring more fun, excitement, comfort, and closeness to your relationship.
How to turn down a friendship without coming across like a jerk
(3 min read) Sometimes you’ll need to turn down someone’s request for friendship — or you’ll have your attempts at friendship declined by someone you wanted to be friends with. Learn how to gracefully turn down a friendship request, and how to not spiral into shame and self-denigration if someone says no to your invitations.
How to support your LGBTQIA+ friends today
When our community is grieving from hate-based violence, this is how we need you to show up for your LGBTQIA+ friends.
What coliving is and why you might fall in love with it
What are the pros and cons of coliving and intentional communities? If you’re considering joining the coliving movement, check out this interview with Naima von Ritter Figueres, co-founder and Head of Community and Wellbeing for Conscious Coliving.
How to turn an online acquaintance into a real friend this week
Want a new friend? Don’t start from scratch! You already have online acquaintances that would make great IRL friends. This fun and power-packed guide will show you how to turn your online followers into real friends—this week.
How to give gifts they'll love (and what to do with gifts you hate)
(6 min read) Does gift-giving stress you out and leave your mind a total blank? Not sure what to do with an awkward or crappy gift that you’ve been given? This guide will give you ideas for awesome, thoughtful, and creative gifts, plus tips for what to do if someone gives you a bad gift.
How to deal with an awkward neighbor you keep running into
(4 min read) Need to escape from an awkward conversation, or prevent it from happening at all? Read about one woman’s awkward neighbor situation and the advice she gets from our guest expert, Justine Ang Fonte of the popular @_good.byes_ Instagram account.
Got a fading friendship? Take a lesson from this unusual flower
(3 min read) What cyclamen flowers can teach you about handling — and reviving — a friendship that’s entered a quiet period.
One easy way to support a friend who's struggling
(3 min read) A story about how you can show creative kindness and gentle generosity when a friend is going through a difficult time. This simple story shows that you don’t need to do big flashy things to show your friends that you care.
How to deal with a friend who doesn't text back
(3 min read) Do you have a friend who doesn’t respond to your texts and calls? Are you wondering if you should keep trying or give up? If you feel like your friend is ignoring you, read this.
How friends can heal burnout together
(5 min read) Friends who feel together heal together. If you’re dealing with burnout and loneliness, check out these resources for reclaiming balance while strengthening your bonds.
1-800-Connection
(2 min read) Instead of scrolling social media, pick up your phone and call these numbers. They’re all phone-call-based projects about connection, self-reflection, and finding joy. I guarantee it will make your day better.
Keeping work friends when hybrid work keeps pushing you apart
(2 min read) Must read for remote and hybrid employees: This post is for you if you’re trying to figure out how to handle ups and downs in your level of closeness with your colleagues.
Gift Guide for Snail Mail Addicts
My wonderland of gear for all things artsy and craftsy in the world of snail mail letter-writing. Use this post as a gift guide for the creative friends in your life, or for yourself when you deserve a treat (you always deserve a treat).
Advice Corner: Introverts, Rejection, and Reciprocity
(3 min read) Today we’re answering your questions about making friends with an introvert, rejection, and how to handle a friend who doesn’t reach out.
The Friendship Salon Secret
(2 min read) Did you get excited about your new friendship only to watch it fizzle out and fade away? If you want to prevent that from happening, start using this tip that all successful salons know.
10 Inspiring Resources to Help You Build Strong Friendships
(3 min read) Whether you’re into books, podcasts, movies, or art, here are ten resources to inspire your friendship journey, support you on tough days, and spark conversations about growing strong friendships.
Instead of Pruning Friends, Try This
(4 min read) If your friendships faded during the pandemic and socializing feels awkward AF right now, resist the urge to prune away your friends. Try this instead.
4 Different Ways to Ask "How are you feeling?"
(5 min read) If you want to check in with your friends and find out how they’re feeling but you want better questions than just straight up saying “How are you feeling?” then this post is for you.
5 Ways to Grow a Strong Friendship
(4 min read) Five tips for growing strong friendships, inspired by lessons from the plant world.
Why I Left Utopia
(5 min read) Millions of people daydream about living in a blissful intentional community surrounded by like-minded people — especially if it was on a beautiful tropical island. So when I had it, why did I walk away?
The Other L Word
(7 min read) Why do so many designers feel lonely in their teams and industry? This post shares a snippet of the content I cover in my popular keynote talk, The Other L Word. Learn how loneliness manifests in design teams and what you can do to solve it.
The Best Friend Myth
(2 min read) Letting go of the "best friend" mentality can help you feel less stress in your friendships and allow you to experience more genuine connections.
One Surprisingly Simple Way to Make Your Friendships Stronger
One way to make your friendships stronger is to vary the methods you use to keep in touch. Here’s how.
How this all got started...
(3 min read) The most common question I get is, “Why did you write a book about adult friendship?” Here’s the behind-the-scenes of why I wrote We Should Get Together and how I came up with my Better than Small Talk conversation cards.
How to Become a Vandal of Delight
(3 min read) Add some spice to your friendships and community by becoming a vandal of delight. All it takes is a little creativity, a spirit of generosity, and a whole lotta mischief.
Workplace loneliness and the future of work
A company is so much more than the output of its production or the shape and size of its office spaces. A company — now more than ever— is a set of experiences for everyone who works for it.
40+ Alternatives to “How are you?”
Why it’s time to give “How are you?” a break, and 40+ alternatives you can replace it with today.
How to Help Your Black Friends and Your Non-Black Friends Today
How you can show up for your Black and non-Black community right now.
#StayHomeSaveLives
Staying home doesn’t necessarily mean you’re acting out of fear. Right now, staying home is an incredible act of love — for your own life and the lives of many others.
8 Self-care tips for self-quarantine
Forced social isolation means we need each other more now than ever. Here are 8 ways to boost your connection and health right away.
A salve for social distancing
Need a break from freaking out about coronavirus? There’s one place you can go right now if you’re in search of a much-needed reprieve: Nature.
Remote work may be a boon for belonging
Companies and employees want people to feel more belonging at work. Who knew that working from home was part of the solution?
Staying connected in the age of quarantines
Staying home doesn’t have to mean feeling isolated. Here’s one idea for building community and friendship without leaving your house.