logo
episode-header-image
Apr 2025
25m 53s

Why Making New Friends Feels Exhausting ...

iHeartPodcasts
About this episode

Do you find it hard to make new friends lately?

Have your friendships changed as you've gotten older?

Why does making new friends as an adult feel like running a marathon with no finish line? Today, Jay  takes us on a thoughtful journey into the world of adult friendships — where connections aren’t forged on playgrounds or dorm rooms anymore, but instead in between meetings, family commitments, and the weight of life’s expectations.

Jay peels back the layers of why forming new bonds can feel so exhausting as we grow older. He reveals how our changing priorities, unhealed wounds, and limited energy all shape how — and with whom — we connect. With warmth and wisdom, he invites us to explore what true friendship really looks like in adulthood, and why it’s less about quantity and more about alignment, presence, and purpose.

In this episode, you'll learn:

How to Let Go of Friendships That No Longer Serve You

How to Stop Forcing Deep Bonds Too Quickly

How to Approach Friendship with Curiosity Instead of Expectation

How to Stay Open to New Relationships at Any Age

How to Cultivate Meaningful Conversations that Matter

Friendships don’t have to be instant to be real. Trust that the right connections will meet you when you show up as your authentic self. 

With Love and Gratitude,

Jay Shetty

Join over 750,000 people to receive my most transformative wisdom directly in your inbox every single week with my free newsletter. Subscribe here.

Join Jay for his first ever, On Purpose Live Tour! Tickets are on sale now. Hope to see you there!

What We Discuss:

00:00 Intro

01:39 This Is The Core Traits Of Real Friends

05:55 Why Making Friends Gets Exhausting As We Age?

09:53 Age Makes You More Doubtful

13:01 With Age, You Become More Selective

17:28 Why Do We Do Things More When There’s Less Friction? 

20:38 Be Honest And Tell The People You Want To Build Friendship With

23:58 Find Your Person at Work And Invest In Genuine Friendship

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Up next
Today
Jay & Radhi Talk About Icks vs. Red Flags (How to ACTUALLY Know the Difference)
<p>In this fun and unfiltered episode, Jay and Radhi dive into the world of &ldquo;icks,&rdquo; those oddly specific little turn-offs that make us cringe for reasons we can&rsquo;t quite explain. From baby voices and socks with sandals to the blurry line between confidence and co ... Show More
29m 16s
Yesterday
6 Lessons I Wish I Knew in My 20’s & 30’s (This Will INSTANTLY Give You Direction!)
<p>What&rsquo;s one thing you wish you learned earlier in life?</p> <p>What do you think would&rsquo;ve changed for you if you learned it sooner?</p> <p>Today, Jay reflects on the lessons he wishes he&rsquo;d learned in his twenties and thirties, wisdom shaped by mistakes, growth ... Show More
28m 45s
Nov 19
Emma Grede: #1 Trick Successful People Use Every Day (THIS Will Open Doors You Didn’t Know Existed!)
<p>What&rsquo;s one habit that&rsquo;s helped you succeed lately?</p> <p>What made you decide to stick with that habit?</p> <p>In this special live conversation, at The Theater at Bill Graham Civic Auditorium in San Francisco, Jay sits down with entrepreneur and industry leader E ... Show More
48m 48s
Recommended Episodes
Aug 2024
Stop Forcing Friendships - Signs You’ve Outgrown Certain Friends
Friendships are supposed to last forever, right? But what happens when the people who once felt like home start feeling like strangers?    In this episode of A Really Good Cry, we dive deep into the bittersweet reality of outgrowing friendships. As we grow and change, so do our n ... Show More
26m 16s
May 2025
How to Make Friends as an Adult—Even After Rejection
Have you ever had a friendship end without any real explanation? This week on A Really Good Cry, I’m opening up about one of the hardest lessons I’ve had to learn as an adult: not every friendship is meant to last, and sometimes, you won’t get a reason why. I’ll share the story o ... Show More
29m 11s
Jul 2024
How to Make Friends As An Adult, with Psychologist & Friendship Expert Dr. Miriam Kirmayer | Summer Rewind
<p>Today's summer rewind is a re-release of one of our favourites that we keep coming back to. We'll be back in September with brand new interviews!</p><p>Making friends can be intimidating at any age, but it feels especially daunting as adults. As we hit our 30s, our groups of f ... Show More
1h 7m
Jul 2025
Encore -- Why is it so hard for adults to make friends? With Marisa Franco, PhD
As an adult, making new friends—and maintaining old friendships—can be tough. Life is busy and friends end up taking a backseat to other relationships and responsibilities. Marisa Franco, PhD, psychologist and friendship expert, talks about how to make new friends and strengthen ... Show More
32m 14s
Dec 2024
How to Make Adult Friendships & Ditch "Default" Ones
<p>Adult friendships, why are they so hard? Are we looking at it the wrong way? Is it us, or is it that we are surrounded by toxic people? And what about those "default" friends that have been around for so long but don't really align with us anymore, how do we navigate those?</p ... Show More
43m 54s
Jun 2025
3 Rules to Reconnect with Old Friends | Anna Goldfarb
Modern life has made friendship feel more confusing, fragile, and isolating than ever. In this episode, journalist and author Anna Goldfarb joins us to unpack the paradox of modern friendship — why we’re lonelier despite being more connected, and what we can do to build stronger, ... Show More
1h 3m
Apr 2025
It's okay for your friendships to change (rerun)
In our 20s there are four things we worry about more than anything else: love, money, the future, and our friendships. As we grow and change, the relationships around us will also naturally change and we may begin to notice how we are seeing our friends less and less, watching ce ... Show More
45m 45s
Feb 2025
Why Making Friends as an Adult Feels Impossible & What to Do About It
<p>If you’ve ever found yourself wondering “where did all my friends go?” or felt like making friends as an adult is impossible, you are not alone. </p><p>In today’s episode, Mel is breaking down the surprising reasons why friendship feels so much harder in adulthood—and, more im ... Show More
1h 17m
Mar 2025
why is it so hard to make friends?
in this solo episode, i share some honest thoughts on my struggles recently to make meaningful friendships and I unpack the psychology behind our craving for a built-in social circle, why adulthood makes friendships feel so much harder, and what we can actually do to cultivate re ... Show More
32m 30s
Apr 2025
It’s Not You: The Real Reason Adult Friendship Is So Hard & 3 Ways to Make It Easier
<p>If you’ve ever felt like making friends as an adult feels impossible, or you’ve looked around and thought, "Where did all my friends go?" – you’re not alone. </p><p>In this episode, Danielle Bayard Jackson is sharing the real reasons why female friendship can feel so complicat ... Show More
1h 31m