Try This

Why it pays to get out of your comfort zone

Apr 9, 2024

Washington Post advice columnist Carolyn Hax and friendship expert Danielle Bayard Jackson discuss ways to foster new friendships and revive old ones, emphasizing the importance of stepping out of comfort zones. They explore the benefits of connecting with strangers and redefining friend time, highlighting the value of real-life interactions in the digital age.

11:11

Creator website

Episode guests

Carolyn Hax

Danielle Bayard Jackson

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Highlights

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Episode notes

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

Social growth requires stepping out of comfort zone to foster new relationships.

Participating in shared activities with friends can maintain strong connections in busy adult lives.

Deep dives

Prioritize Social Fitness by Being Proactive in Building Friendships

Being lazy in friendships can hinder social growth. Interacting with a diverse range of people, even in uncomfortable situations, can enhance interpersonal skills that benefit relationships in the long term. Embracing interactions that challenge and expand social circles can lead to unexpected, meaningful connections.

Value of Interpersonal Connections

01:31

Introduction

2min

Embracing Discomfort for Personal Growth and Social Connection

2min

Exploring the Benefits of Talking to Strangers

2min

Redefining Friend Time and Prioritizing Social Connections

5min

In Class 2 of our course on friendship, you’ll learn how to get out of your comfort zone when it comes to fostering new friendships and resuscitating old ones. Cristina talks to Washington Post advice columnist Carolyn Hax about doable ways to make real-life connections at a time when technology makes that seem hard. Friendship expert Danielle Bayard Jackson makes the case that spending time with friends can be as simple as some shared errands. And Bob Waldinger is back to explain how we don’t always know what we actually want from interactions with other people. It turns out, we might surprise ourselves.

For more advice on how to navigate all sorts of relationships, read columns by The Post’s Carolyn Hax.

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