The Importance Of Social Connection For Longevity, With Christy and Ana of the Girl Can You Talk Podcast

Sep 2, 2025

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In this episode, you’ll learn about the powerful role of friendship and connection in promoting physical, emotional, and even cognitive longevity.

I sit down with longtime (40 years long!) friends Christy and Ana from the Girl, Can You Talk? podcast to explore their BOND method—Be Open, Offer Invitations, Nurture Consistency, and Deepen Through Vulnerability—a simple, intentional approach to building real relationships that help you live better, feel better, and not feel alone.

This show is great if you want to learn more about how connection impacts your health, why friendships can be more than just brunch buddies, and how simple things like sending a voice memo or asking a friend, “have you been outside today?” can literally change someone’s day. You’ll hear relatable, heartwarming (and often hilarious) real-life stories about perimenopause, empty nest syndrome, and navigating one-sided friendships. Christy and Ana share how getting in front of people, even just once a week for coffee, can turn into something meaningful—and how just one close friend can make a life-changing difference.

If you want practical tools, some good laughs, and an important reminder about the importance of building and maintaining social connections, this episode is for you!

TIMESTAMPS:

Sometimes we forget that friendship and connection are very important to our overall health. [01:03]

Having a society inundated with the internet has changed the way people relate. [07:07]

Your relationships at 50 predict your health and longevity and happiness at 80 [10:39]

B is for be open. O is for offer invitations. N is for nurture, consistency, and D is deepen through vulnerability. [13:11]

Loneliness is the new smoking as far as damage is concerned. [15:45]

You need to learn how to engage. [21:15]

There are methodical steps one can take to learn how to engage with people. B is for be open. [24:00]

O is for offering invitations without fear of rejection. Think about including someone with something you are already doing. [32:41]

N is nurturing consistency through intentional habits. [40:49]

Deepen your connection through vulnerability. [44:25]

What if your friendship feels unbalanced.? You give more than you receive. [49:08]

Be inquisitive. You learn a lot that way. [54:56]

LINKS:

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