Struggling to Make Friends After 40? Here’s What Actually Works to Find Your People

Making friends in midlife is hard—but you’re not broken. This episode unpacks why adult friendship feels so weird, and how to build real connection after 40 and 50 (without all the awkwardness). It's time to find your people.

✨ Episode Summary: Making friends in midlife can feel like asking someone out... and offering to co-sign their mortgage at the same time. (“Want to grab coffee?” = “Want to be my emergency contact?” 😅)

In this episode, Lizzie gets real about why adult friendships feel so weird—and why we need them more than ever. From social science to awkward stories, you’ll walk away with 5 meaningful strategies to build authentic connection after 40 and 50.

Spoiler: friendship is the ultimate wellness hack, and it might be the one thing you’re missing. Whether you’ve just dropped your last kid off at college, moved to a new city, or just feel low-key lonely despite a full calendar, this episode will make you feel less alone—and more empowered to find your people.

🧠 In this episode, you’ll learn:

1. Why friendships fade in midlife (and how to revive them)
2. The difference between “fitting in” and belonging
3. How loneliness affects your health more than smoking or diet What the Harvard study on adult development says about relationships
4. 5 brave, doable ways to make new friends as an adult How retreats and creative community fast-track real connection
5. What to do if you're the “inviter” and feel a little golden-retriever-ish about it
   
   📌 Resources & Mentions:
   📝 Blog: [How to Make Friends in Midlife (Without Feeling So Awkward)
   📸 Join the Life Feast Membership
   🌍 Come on an Art of Life retreat with me and my longtime bestie, Weatherly Stroh! Let us help you find your people (or bond with your people!) on a creativity or adventure retreat (Morocco, Croatia, Italy, France and more locations coming!)
   Instagram: https://instagram.com/lizzielarock
   For this episode's blog go => here
   
   📚 Referenced: Harvard Adult Development Study, US Surgeon General’s Loneliness Report, Brene Brown on Belonging
   
   💬 Share this episode: If this episode resonated with you, share it with a friend you’d actually like to get coffee with. Or, better yet, invite them to the Life Feast or to a retreat and do it together. Let’s make midlife more connected, more creative, and way less lonely.
   
   🔗 Connect with Lizzie for coaching, creativity & positive psychology:
   Website: thelilfeast.com
   The Life Feast: https://larockstarcreative.com/life-feast
   
   🎧 Listen & Subscribe: Available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, and wherever you love to listen.