Reestablishing Friendships After This Weird Time
b'The pandemic shrunk our social circles, first literally and then metaphorically. Our time for ourselves evaporated, and with that any chance of catching up with our best friend\\u2013 even if she lived two blocks away. We lost the once-a -month lunch friends, the "micro-interactions" with strangers, and even the overheard conversations that spark our curiosity and feed us more than we ever realized.\\nBut picking something back up, after you\'ve put it down for a long time, can make it seem surprisingly heavy. As the restrictions end, and we can see all of the people all of the time, we\'ve been surprised by our own conflicting emotions about it all. Dr. Marlee Bower, a loneliness researcher at the University of Sydney, explains that "an extended period of loneliness can make social interaction feel more challenging in the longer term."\\nIn this episode we talk about how we\'re alternating periods of social-butterfly celebration with days we still want to hide under the covers. It\'s a process, and we\'re all feeling it. Here\'s how to get a little more intentional about reestablishing those friendships we have missed the most.\\nHere are links to some of the writing on the topic that we discuss in this episode:\\nArthur Brooks for The Atlantic: A Once In A Lifetime Chance To Start Over\\nCelina Ribiero for BBC Worklife: How lockdowns are changing our friendship groups\\nCatherine Pearson for HuffPost: Moms Have Held Everything Together This Past Year, Except Their Friendships\\nKelcey Borreson for HuffPost: Some Friendships Are Taking A \\u2018Pandemic Pause\\u2019 And That\\u2019s All Right\\nAnna Goldfarb for New York Times:\\xa0\\u201cHow to Deal With a Friendship \\u2018Quiet Season,\\u2019\\nKat Vellos on Twitter\\nSpecial thanks to this month\'s sponsors:\\xa0\\xa0\\nLooking for another great parenting podcast? StrollerCoaster: A Parenting Podcast is created by Munchkin, the most beloved baby brand in the world. Follow or subscribe wherever you listen!\\nJane.com\\xa0is a boutique marketplace featuring the latest in women\\u2019s fashion, accessories, home decor, children\\u2019s clothing, and more. You will not believe the prices!\\xa0Visit\\xa0jane.com/laughing.\\nUsual Wines come in single-serve six-ounce bottles\\u2013 about a glass and a half of wine. They\\u2019ve got a red blend, a ros\\xe9, a sparkling white, plus Usual Spritz, a low-calorie wine cooler. Each has just 83 calories- and they\'re fermented until there\'s no more sugar. Get $8 off your first order at usualwines.com with the code FRESHHELL.\\nHooked on Phonics is the learn-to-read program that has helped over 6 million kids learn to read. And now it offers a multi-sensory approach, which uniquely combines an amazing app with\\xa0hands-on learning materials shipped to your home every month. Get your first month for just $1 by going to hookedonphonics.com/laughing.\\nOlive gets you consolidated, cardboard-free deliveries from over 100 of your favorite fashion sites. No cardboard-box waste! Returns are a snap. Best of all, you can sign up for free, at shopolive.com.\\nLiterati delivers their monthly book picks straight to your door, so you can spend less time finding a good book and more time actually reading one. And their app lets you chat about the books with the whole Literati community. Redeem your FREE trial at literati.com/whatfreshhell.\\nQuince\\xa0is a game-changer for your wardrobe and your home, with high-quality essentials at prices 50-80% less than other brands. Free shipping and 365-day returns at\\xa0onequince.com/fresh.\\nMagic\\xa0Spoon\\xa0is breakfast cereal that\'s keto-friendly, gluten-free, grain-free, soy-free, low carb, and GMO-free. Go\\xa0to\\xa0magicspoon.com/fresh to\\xa0grab the new limited edition Birthday Cake flavor today! And use code FRESH at\\xa0checkout to save\\xa0$5 off.\\nParade\\xa0makes creative underwear and bralettes in a variety of sizes from extra small to 3 XL.\\xa0Supersoft, super-cute, and prices that start at $8! Get 25% off when you spend $40 or more at yourparade.com/wfh with code WFH.\\xa0\\nLearn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices'