Frientimacy: Finding Our Way to More Fulfilling Friendships
Shasta Nelson
Ever feel like friendships are too complicated, superficial, or disappointing? And yet you don’t want to swear them off completely because you also crave the feeling of having close, comfortable, and meaningful relationships? You’re not alone! In the first season of Frientimacy , social relationships expert Shasta Nelson goes behind the scenes of her own real-life friendships to unpack the challenges they’ve faced and how they overcame them to forge an even stronger bond. Because let’s face it—even the healthiest relationships encounter conflict! By shedding light on two sides of the story, Frientimacy can inspire and teach us how to navigate similar issues in our own friendships.
Shasta is the author of 3 books on adult friendships and social relationships, a popular resource for media such as the New York Times and the Today Show , and an in-demand keynote speaker. Now she’s getting vulnerable to reveal how even a social relationships expert can experience adversity in her friendships . . . and emerge with more meaningful connections. It may not always be easy navigating jealousy, busyness, hurt feelings, or different life stages, but sometimes it’s worth it, so listen in if you’re ready for more fulfilling friendships! To connect with Shasta on her other platforms, follow her on Instagram at @shastamnelson, or subscribe to her YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/c/shastanelson.
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Top 10 Frientimacy: Finding Our Way to More Fulfilling Friendships Episodes
Goodpods has curated a list of the 10 best Frientimacy: Finding Our Way to More Fulfilling Friendships episodes, ranked by the number of listens and likes each episode have garnered from our listeners. If you are listening to Frientimacy: Finding Our Way to More Fulfilling Friendships for the first time, there's no better place to start than with one of these standout episodes. If you are a fan of the show, vote for your favorite Frientimacy: Finding Our Way to More Fulfilling Friendships episode by adding your comments to the episode page.
I'm the Friend Who Avoids Conflict
Frientimacy: Finding Our Way to More Fulfilling Friendships
08/27/24 • 59 min
Conflict—nobody enjoys it, but how do we tackle tough conversations with those we care about? In this episode of Frientimacy, Shasta tackles this challenging topic with three insightful guests: Krista, Kerry, and Laura. Each woman shares her struggles with avoiding conflict in friendships—Krista due to a deep-seated need for harmony, Kerry because of her natural empathy, and Laura because of her introverted tendencies. Together, they explore how avoiding tough conversations affects relationships and share advice for balancing honesty with empathy to keep connections strong.
Connect with other listeners on our Mighty Networks community!
Join Shasta’s mailing list to be the first to know about upcoming episodes, friendship coaching, trips, and more: https://www.shastanelson.com/mailing-list.Shasta’s books on belongingness and human connection:
- Friendships Don’t Just Happen!: The Guide to Creating a Meaningful Circle of GirlFriends
- Frientimacy: How to Deepen Friendships for Lifelong Health and Happiness
- The Business of Friendship: Making the Most of Our Relationships Where We Spend Most of Our Time
Connect with Shasta on her other platforms:
The Friendship That Faces Comparison and Envy (Christine)
Frientimacy: Finding Our Way to More Fulfilling Friendships
07/30/24 • 57 min
When Shasta met Christine, a fellow author and speaker, she was everything Shasta wanted to be: she had just published a book, she’d been interviewed on TV, and she had a press kit. Shasta was green with envy. We’ve all been there—a friend has more money, goes on cooler vacations, is happily in love while we just went through a breakup. We wish we had their job, body, house, or relationship. It’s inevitable to feel jealousy and envy sometimes, but how do we make sure our feelings don’t jeopardize our friendships? Today, Shasta and Christine dish on all the icky emotions they’ve experienced and share how they’ve been able to get back to a place of peace. They also reflect on how they’ve been able to be candid about their envy while keeping the friendship feeling positive. Finally, Shasta teaches how to distinguish between the different types of jealousy and envy so that we can choose the wisest response.
In this episode, Shasta and Christine answer the questions:
- What is the difference between jealousy and envy?
- How can you distinguish between unreliable and reliable jealousy?
- How do you cheer for a friend when you’re feeling envious of them?
- How can envy lead us to personal growth and empowerment?
- When you’re feeling envious, how can you shift your mindset to a more positive one?
- Should you tell your friend if you’re feeling envious of them? How can communicating about envy or insecurities deepen your relationship?
Ask Shasta your questions & connect with other listeners on our Mighty Networks community!
Join Shasta’s mailing list to be the first to know about upcoming episodes, friendship coaching, trips, and more: https://www.shastanelson.com/mailing-list.
Resource Links:
- Learn more about the Inner Mean Girl in Christine’s book: Reform Your Inner Mean Girl: 7 Steps to Stop Bullying Yourself and Start Loving Yourself
- Christine’s other books on self-love, personal leadership, well-being, and burnout: https://christinearylo.com/books/
- Listen to Christine’s podcast
- Take the Frientimacy quizzes: Positivity Quiz, Consistency Quiz, Vulnerability Quiz
- Learn more about the Frientimacy Triangle, and jealousy and envy in friendship, in Frientimacy: How to Deepen Friendships for Lifelong Health and Happiness
- More of Shasta’s books on belongingness and human connection:
- Learn more about Shasta’s CoachingCircles
Connect with Shasta on her other platforms:
The Friendship that Navigated a Falling-Out with a Mutual Friend (Kat)
Frientimacy: Finding Our Way to More Fulfilling Friendships
07/09/24 • 54 min
After going through a friendship breakup, Shasta faced a dilemma: how would she navigate this with their mutual friends, and how much was she going to pull them into the drama? In this episode, she sits down with her friend Kat, who still maintains her own relationship with Shasta’s ex-friend. They shed insight on how they’ve been able to discuss the friendship breakup without being catty or ruining Kat’s own friendship. Shasta opens up about seeing an ex-friend move on, and shares how to deal with jealousy or pain when your mutual friends spend time with them. Finally, they reflect on how to choose the best response and minimize the fallout after a friendship breakup, and if there’s ever a case when you should expect your mutual friends to choose sides.
In this episode, Shasta and Kat answer the questions:
- How do you navigate talking about the falling-out, whether you’re the one going through the friendship breakup or you’re the mutual friend?
- How does it feel to be the person navigating a friendship breakup when other people are involved? How does it feel to be the mutual friend of two people who’ve ended their friendship?
- Is it possible and okay for your mutual friends to maintain their relationships with your ex-friend? Is there ever a reason your mutual friends should not remain friends with someone you’ve had a falling-out with?
- If your mutuals stay friends with your ex-friend, how do you deal with the pain or jealousy?
Connect with other listeners on our Mighty Networks community!
Join Shasta’s mailing list to be the first to know about upcoming episodes, friendship coaching, trips, and more: https://www.shastanelson.com/mailing-list.
Resource Links:
- Watch the “Surviving a Friendship Breakup” series
- J. S. Park’s book on grief: As Long As You Need: Permission to Grieve
- Shasta’s books on belongingness and human connection:
Connect with Shasta on her other platforms:
The Friendship Where I Couldn't Live Up to Her Expectations (Daneen)
Frientimacy: Finding Our Way to More Fulfilling Friendships
07/02/24 • 48 min
Have you ever felt like you were always disappointing a friend or that you couldn't satisfy them? Or maybe you’re on the other side, feeling like your friends aren’t putting in the same level of effort as you? This was the problem Shasta and Daneen encountered. At the beginning of their friendship, Daneen initiated time with Shasta frequently, and Shasta started to feel like she couldn't give enough back. Then, after Daneen had a baby and asked her to be the godmother, Shasta felt guilty for not being able to live up to Daneen’s expectations of that role. Today, Shasta and Daneen delve into the conversation that set boundaries graciously and allowed Shasta the opportunity to not only meet Daneen’s expectations, but surpass them. They also talk the perks of having non-mom friends after you have kids and how to know if a friendship is worth saving.
In this episode, Shasta and Daneen answer the questions:
- How do you kindly set boundaries when you can’t meet a friend’s expectations?
- How does it feel to be the friend who needs more? How does it feel to be the friend who can’t give more?
- How do you know if a friendship is worth saving?
- How do you maintain friendships after having children, or when your friends have children?
- What are the benefits of having non-mom friends after having kids?
Connect with other listeners on our Mighty Networks community!
Join Shasta’s mailing list to be the first to know about upcoming episodes, friendship coaching, trips, and more: https://www.shastanelson.com/mailing-list.
Resource Links:
- Wall Street Journal: It Takes at Least 200 Hours to Make a Close Friendship, and More to Maintain It
- Take the Frientimacy quizzes: Positivity Quiz, Consistency Quiz, Vulnerability Quiz
- Learn more about the Frientimacy Triangle in Frientimacy: How to Deepen Friendships for Lifelong Health and Happiness
- More of Shasta’s books on belongingness and human connection:
Connect with Shasta on her other platforms:
The Friendship That Weathered My Personal Life Crisis (Kim)
Frientimacy: Finding Our Way to More Fulfilling Friendships
06/04/24 • 60 min
Shasta and Kim were colleagues and couple friends . . . then Shasta called her crying out of the blue. She’d had an affair, a divorce, and had been fired from her job. But while other friends and colleagues pulled away, judged, and disappeared, Kim and Shasta only grew closer. In today’s episode, the two unpack how Shasta’s personal crisis affected her friend and how their friendship survived when many of Shasta’s relationships did not. Kim divulges the confusion she felt at Shasta not telling her sooner, and how others questioned her decision to stay friends with someone who’d had an affair. They talk about shifting from couple friends to developing a one-on-one friendship after Shasta’s divorce. They also reveal how the experience helped them build their friendship now—one in which they can tell each other everything and endure any and every season of life together.
In this episode, Shasta and Kim answer the questions:
- What did it feel like watching a friend go through a crisis?
- What happens when your “couple friends” divorce? Can you stay friends, and how will the friendship change?
- How do you support friends who are going through hard times?
- How do you support friends who’ve made bad decisions?
- How can you create a “safe space” within a friendship, in which you can share anything without judgment?
- How can you keep your friendships intact and thriving when you’re personally struggling?
Resource Links:
- Take the Frientimacy quizzes: Positivity Quiz, Consistency Quiz, Vulnerability Quiz
- Shasta’s books on belongingness and human connection:
Join Shasta’s mailing list to be the first to know about upcoming episodes, friendship coaching, trips, and more: https://www.shastanelson.com/mailing-list.
Connect with Shasta on her other platforms:
The Healthy Friendship: The 3 Requirements of Frientimacy
Frientimacy: Finding Our Way to More Fulfilling Friendships
06/04/24 • 48 min
Friendships can get a little messy, but at the other end of the muck are often more supportive and meaningful relationships. Join Shasta for the debut episode of Frientimacy, as she reveals the 3 requirements for all healthy relationships that helped her and her own friends navigate conflict and disappointment to deepen their connections. Shasta also exposes the real reason we’re lonely (and it’s not because we need to meet more people!) and the shocking impact of relationships on our physical and mental health.
In this episode, Shasta answers the questions:
- Why are over 60% of us lonely, and why do 75% of us feel dissatisfied with our friendships?
- What are the four developmental stages of friendships? How do we get to the final stage of true intimacy?
- What are the three requirements for all healthy relationships?
- How can we learn from our approach to romantic relationships to have healthier expectations for our friendships?
- How are our relationships affecting our physical and mental health?
Resource Links:
- Take the Frientimacy quizzes: Positivity Quiz, Consistency Quiz, Vulnerability Quiz
- Scott Peck’s 4 stages of community building: The Different Drum: Community Making and Peace
- Scientific American: Loneliness is Harmful to Our Nation’s Health
- University of Virginia: ‘Shocking’ New Research Finds Friendships Are Key to Good Health
- Cigna: Loneliness and Its Impact on the American Workplace
- NPR: What’s the #1 thing to change to be happier? A top happiness researcher weighs in.
- The Gottman Institute: The Magic Relationship Ratio, According to Science
- Shasta’s books on belongingness and human connection:
Join Shasta’s mailing list to be the first to know about upcoming episodes, friendship coaching, trips, and more: https://www.shastanelson.com/mailing-list.
Connect with Shasta on her other platforms:
Frientimacy: Finding Our Way to More Fulfilling Friendships - A First Look
Frientimacy: Finding Our Way to More Fulfilling Friendships
05/20/24 • 2 min
Welcome to “Frientimacy: Finding Our Way to More Fulfilling Friendships” —the show that reminds us through shared stories and research-backed teaching that friendships, while they may not always be easy, that doesn’t mean they aren’t worth it.
My name is Shasta Nelson and I’ve been researching, coaching, speaking, and writing books about our friendships for 15 years. With over 60% of us feeling lonely, and even more of us dissatisfied with our current friendships– the approach we’re taking to our friendships clearly isn’t working.
Starting on June 4th, and every Tuesday through the summer, I’m going to release a new episode where we’re going to journey through some of the biggest obstacles to our friendships– busy-ness, jealousy, neglect, hurt feelings, feeling like we don’t have anything in common anymore. But I’m not just going to teach us how to navigate it, I’m going to invite one of my real-life friends to come talk about one of those issues we’ve had to deal with in our own friendship. Yes, we’re going there. We’re bringing up hard conversations and hurt feelings we’ve experienced– first so you know you’re not alone in realizing that friendships are sometimes disappointing or exhausting, but second, so we can learn from each other as I’m going to be asking questions like “What did it feel like to be you in that situation? What was the hardest part of that? What do you wish I had done differently?”
No one wants to hear that friendships can be hard work... and yet, much like how physical health is on the other side of physical exertion, so, too is our social health on the other side of some relationship sweat.
If you’re ready for deeper, closer, and more supportive relationships in your life, if you want relationships that feel intimate, safe, and fulfilling– Frientimacy is for you.
You can listen on Spotify, Apple podcasts or wherever you prefer to find your podcasts.
The Friendship That Had to Evolve After a Lifestyle Change (Krista)
Frientimacy: Finding Our Way to More Fulfilling Friendships
08/13/24 • 52 min
This heartfelt episode dives deep into the journey of personal growth and sobriety through the lens of Krista, who opens up about her decision to stop drinking. Krista recounts the challenges and growth that came with this process and how it impacted the relationships in her life. Krista and Shasta discuss the importance of mutual support in friendships, especially when someone makes a significant personal change. They explore how friends can navigate these changes together while maintaining understanding through periods of transformation.
In this episode, Shasta and Krista answer the questions:
- In what ways can friends show support for someone who is undergoing a major personal change like sobriety?
- How can friends communicate their own needs and boundaries while being supportive of someone going through a transformation?
- What does it mean if someone’s personal growth journey creates distance in a friendship? Is it about the individual’s change or something else?
Connect with other listeners on our Mighty Networks community!
Join Shasta’s mailing list to be the first to know about upcoming episodes, friendship coaching, trips, and more: https://www.shastanelson.com/mailing-list.
Registration for the Fall 2024 CoachingCircles is now open!
https://www.shastanelson.com/coachingcircles/fall2024
Shasta’s books on belongingness and human connection:
- Friendships Don’t Just Happen!: The Guide to Creating a Meaningful Circle of GirlFriends
- Frientimacy: How to Deepen Friendships for Lifelong Health and Happiness
- The Business of Friendship: Making the Most of Our Relationships Where We Spend Most of Our Time
Connect with Shasta on her other platforms:
When Politics Divide: Why Is It So Hard to Stay Connected? (Marcia & Kim)
Frientimacy: Finding Our Way to More Fulfilling Friendships
10/01/24 • 56 min
Have you had a relationship in your life damaged by opposing political views? Or maybe you were taken by surprise when you found out a close friend of yours will be voting differently than you in this upcoming election?
This month, Shasta will be diving deep into tough conversations about building and maintaining relationships in today’s intense political climate. She kicks off the start of this political mini-series by inviting Marcia and Kim to discuss how relationships in their lives have been strained due to differing political views. They talk about how it can be difficult to be empathetic to the other side while also fighting the urge to “rescue” them back to their own side of the spectrum. Tune in to hear them share the challenges of setting boundaries, the hurt of feeling unseen, and their hopes for compromise with their friends and loved ones.
Connect with other listeners on our Mighty Networks community!
Join Shasta’s mailing list to be the first to know about upcoming episodes, friendship coaching, trips, and more: https://www.shastanelson.com/mailing-list.
Shasta’s books on belongingness and human connection:
- Friendships Don’t Just Happen!: The Guide to Creating a Meaningful Circle of GirlFriends
- Frientimacy: How to Deepen Friendships for Lifelong Health and Happiness
- The Business of Friendship: Making the Most of Our Relationships Where We Spend Most of Our Time
Connect with Shasta on her other platforms:
Choosing Silence: Is It the Best Strategy for Political Tensions?” (J’Leen & Valerie)
Frientimacy: Finding Our Way to More Fulfilling Friendships
10/22/24 • 71 min
Today, Shasta is joined by her two close friends, J’Leen and Valerie, to discuss an interesting situation that occurred within their friend group: they each had assumed that they all shared the same political views as one another, only to recently discover that this was far from the truth! What do they do next? Is it better to avoid political discussions altogether to keep their friendship intact?
Join Shasta, J’Leen, and Valerie as they explore the complexities of political conversations among friends. They reflect on their personal journeys, challenge assumptions, and emphasize the importance of open dialogue, especially in today’s divided world. Don’t miss this candid discussion in the season finale of Frientimacy!
Connect with other listeners on our Mighty Networks community!
Join Shasta’s mailing list to be the first to know about upcoming episodes, friendship coaching, trips, and more: https://www.shastanelson.com/mailing-list.
Shasta’s books on belongingness and human connection:
- Friendships Don’t Just Happen!: The Guide to Creating a Meaningful Circle of GirlFriends
- Frientimacy: How to Deepen Friendships for Lifelong Health and Happiness
- The Business of Friendship: Making the Most of Our Relationships Where We Spend Most of Our Time
Connect with Shasta on her other platforms:
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FAQ
How many episodes does Frientimacy: Finding Our Way to More Fulfilling Friendships have?
Frientimacy: Finding Our Way to More Fulfilling Friendships currently has 25 episodes available.
What topics does Frientimacy: Finding Our Way to More Fulfilling Friendships cover?
The podcast is about Health & Fitness, Society & Culture, Relationship Podcast, Mental Health, Friendship, Podcasts, Relationship Advice, Relationships, Health and Advice.
What is the most popular episode on Frientimacy: Finding Our Way to More Fulfilling Friendships?
The episode title 'The Friendship That Faces Comparison and Envy (Christine)' is the most popular.
What is the average episode length on Frientimacy: Finding Our Way to More Fulfilling Friendships?
The average episode length on Frientimacy: Finding Our Way to More Fulfilling Friendships is 54 minutes.
How often are episodes of Frientimacy: Finding Our Way to More Fulfilling Friendships released?
Episodes of Frientimacy: Finding Our Way to More Fulfilling Friendships are typically released every 7 days.
When was the first episode of Frientimacy: Finding Our Way to More Fulfilling Friendships?
The first episode of Frientimacy: Finding Our Way to More Fulfilling Friendships was released on May 20, 2024.
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