Shocking Truths on How to Create the DEEP Friendships You Crave: Thoughts From a Former Ghoster

Hiii friends! Welcome back to this lil corner of the internet!
It’s time for another episode of ✨Finding Your Casual Magic✨ and I am SO excited to have you here with me.

First, a massive THANK YOU for all the love on the last few episodes! Reading your messages and hearing your casual magic moments has been the most heartwarming thing ever—it truly makes this space feel like a community. 💛

In today’s episode, we’re diving into one of my favourite topics ever: friendship. 🌟
We’re talking about how to create and sustain deep, meaningful connections in adulthood, embracing the bravery required to be vulnerable, and learning how to lean into those moments that test and strengthen our relationships.

I open with a short guided meditation to help you feel present (a little pause for you in this busy, busy world), and then we get into the nitty-gritty. I share my own journey with friendship - what I’ve learned from being a self-confessed “bad friend,” how productivity culture impacts the way we connect, and why intentionality is key to maintaining close friendships.

Plus, I reference some fascinating studies on loneliness, social media’s role in modern friendships, and why the health benefits of deep relationships are just as important as diet and exercise.

Some of the insights in today’s episode come from:

How to Make, and Keep, Friends in Adulthood: https://bit.ly/4al22Dw
Surprising Friendship Statistics: https://bit.ly/4jhICUj
The Roles of Social Media Use and Friendship Quality in Adolescents’ Well-being: https://bit.ly/4g1K4an
Friendships and Health: https://bit.ly/4alHs64

Of course, we close with our Casual Magic of the Week (shoutout to Maike from the Netherlands for their beautiful story about reconnecting with nature 🏞️). Then, as always, I guide you through a moment of reflection and intention setting for the week ahead.

I hope this episode leaves you feeling inspired to reach out to a friend, make someone feel loved, or even reflect on what friendship means to you. 💌

Timestamps
0:00 - Welcome back + intro to the episode
3:28 - Guided meditation: pause, breathe, and ground yourself
5:40 - Friendship in adulthood: why it’s hard and why it matters
8:40 - The loneliness epidemic: the stats behind our friendships
15:29 - My friendship journey: from bad friend to better friend
23:36 - Productivity culture + hyper-independence: how they hurt connection
27:15 - Social media’s role in modern friendships
32:33 - Leaning into vulnerability + learning to communicate better
35:20 - Practical tips for sustaining long-distance friendships
42:45 - Jade's best advice for maintaining deeper friendships
46:00 - Why it’s okay to “burden” the people in your life
47:23 - Casual Magic of the Week: Maike reconnects with nature
50:45 - Reflection + setting intentions for the week ahead


💛 Share your Casual Magic of the Week!
Notice something beautiful in your daily life? A special moment or reflection? DM us a 60-second voice message or video to @casualmagicpodcast on Instagram or email it to findingyourcasualmagic@gmail.com!

💌 How to Share:

Start with your name and where you’re from.
Tell us about your moment of casual magic (and include pics if you have any)!
Let us know if you’d like to be tagged if chosen.
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This is Finding Your Casual Magic with UnJaded Jade
Produced by The Podcast Guys
Theme music by Francesca Lu