Why Does Adulthood Feel So Lonely Sometimes? | The Hop Pod EP 119

Adulthood comes with its fair share of challenges, especially in fast-paced Singapore, where long work hours and hectic schedules make it harder to maintain friendships. And when those connections start to fade, that familiar feeling of loneliness creeps in. But why does this happen, and how can we cope with it in a healthy way? In this episode, we unpack the reality of adult loneliness and explore how we can build meaningful, intentional connections even in the midst of our busy lives. 00:00 Teaser 00:42 Topic of the day 01:25 What does loneliness mean to you? 03:35 Loneliness stemming from not understanding yourself 04:33 Do you meet with friends because you’re lonely or because you miss hanging out with them? 05:05 Is it healthy to want people to understand your feelings? 05:54 Do you think that loneliness is common in Singaporeans? 07:58 When you were young, did you spend a lot of time alone or with friends? 08:27 Do you think social media has affected how lonely we feel? 09:41 Finding out about a separate group chat 10:28 Do you think part of loneliness comes from the gap between the fantasy and reality of adulthood? 11:27 Does the number of friend groups you have affect your loneliness level? 13:34 Being the filler friend 14:32 The importance of having one strong core friend group 14:59 Have you ever met someone you gel with but did not have the capacity for another friendship? 18:06 Having standards for friendships 19:10 Are our busy lives tricking us into thinking we are socially fulfilled? 22:08 What happens if you feel fulfilled from only socialising at work? 23:17 Do you think we feel loneliness only because we have something to lose? 24:10 Do you think there’s a difference between being alone and feeling lonely? 24:55 Joie’s personal story and struggles of doing things alone 27:55 The Question Pod 30:51 Do you think that extroverts and introverts experience loneliness differently? 32:29 How do you think adults can make new friends? 34:43 How can we be intentional about building new connections? 39:00 What is one reassuring thing you should remember adult friendships? 40:18 Outro 40:54 Bloopers FOLLOW US ON SOCIALS INSTAGRAM:   / yougotwatchsg   TIKTOK:   / yougotwatchsg   🌱 TAUGEHS 🌱 Nicholas:   / nicholasyeam   Joie:   / joietan   Q (Yun Qian):   / lyqian   🎧 SUBSCRIBE & LISTEN 🎧 Spotify: https://bit.ly/thehoppod-spotify Apple Podcasts: https://bit.ly/thehoppod-apple MeListen: https://bit.ly/thehoppod-melisten Powered by Mediacorp, contact us at: [email protected]