On improving your social life

Featuring Pete Davis, Nikki Osman, Chris Cheers and Kat Vellos

In this debut episode of A social life, with friends I’m asking, how do we start improving our social lives?

This question feels particularly pertinent. Loneliness is now recognised as a global health concern by the World Health Organization and more people report having fewer close friends or people to turn to in times of crisis.

Personally, I often felt like I’m messing up my own social life. In recent years there has been friend losses and atrophy. Feelings of comparison and discontent. Disconnection as various friends and myself shift between cities. A social anxiety seems to be a hangover from pandemic lockdowns.

Comfort comes, for me at least, in knowing I’m not alone. And I hope that’s what you find from the many conversations and reflections in this episode.

To delve into how we can improve our social lives, I speak with incredible experts, writers, and psychologists including:

• Writer and civic advocate

  Pete Davis

• Journalist and editor

  Nikki Osman
  of
  Mate Expectations

• Psychologist, educator and author of The New Rulebook, Chris Cheers

• Author of We Should Get Together

  Kat Vellos

Below, paid subscribers to this newsletter will find additional notes, links, poems, quotes, and a bonus audio reflection.

If you’d like to delve deeper and support this labour of love, if you have the means be sure to become a paid subscriber.

For those already subscribed, thank you. It takes days (!) for me to solely produce, edit, sound design and host these podcasts, and in lieu of current sponsorship your support helps brings this to life. Enjoy the extras below!