Click here to listen to Episode 142 of the Minutes on Growth podcast on Apple Podcast or on Spotify
Hi Soul Friends, it’s Tannaz Hosseinpour, and welcome back to another solo episode of Minutes on Growth.
Before we dive in, I have a really exciting announcement to share with you! this ones for the ladies…
The Self-Worth, Self-Care, and Sisterhood Retreat in Tuscany is officially launched, and early bird pricing is active until May 5th! You can check out all the details in the show notes below.
We’ve already had quite a few inquiries coming in, so if this is something you’d like to experience this summer, don’t wait too long. This retreat is going to be such a beautiful opportunity to tap into your Divine Feminine, to deepen your self-esteem, self-worth, and nervous system regulation. We’re going to dive into powerful work around trauma processing, balancing energies, and embodying your most authentic self—all in a safe, supportive, sacred space.
If this is resonating then I highly recommend checking it out because i would absolutely love to have you there with us
Okay, now let’s get into today’s topic: the importance of safe communities.
The Science of Connection
Did you know that the longest-running study on happiness—the Harvard Study of Adult Development, which has been going for over 80 years now—found that the quality of our relationships is the strongest predictor of our happiness and health?
Not our income.
Not our career success.
Not our achievements.
Our relationships.
Strong, safe, supportive relationships are what nourish us. They protect our nervous systems. They expand our resilience.
And this makes so much sense—because we are tribal people by nature. We are wired for connection. We thrive when we feel seen, supported, and valued within a community.
Research on Friendship and Support Systems
And it’s not just Harvard’s findings.
Research published by William Chopik in his article “Associations among relational values, support, health, and well-being across the adult lifespan” found that friendships become even more important to well-being as we age, even sometimes more than family relationships.
Friendships are the relationships we choose. They’re based on shared trust, values, and emotional reciprocity.
Another study by Julianne Holt-Lunstad in a 2010 meta-analysis of Social Relationships and Mortality Risk showed that having strong social connections boosts longevity and even strengthens immune function. Meanwhile, a lack of strong relationships can have a health impact equivalent to smoking 15 cigarettes a day.
So if you’ve been feeling the pull to seek out deeper connections or to nurture your existing friendships—you’re not imagining it. Your soul and your nervous system are craving it.
In fact, loneliness today has become such a widespread issue that it’s being called an epidemic.When I was living in Japan, I witnessed firsthand how culturally, many people experienced loneliness very differently than we might in the West—it was often quieter, more internalized.And during the pandemic, this loneliness skyrocketed across the country.There’s a study I want to mention—it was conducted among over 27,000 Japanese workers during COVID-19, published by Yusuke Konno and colleagues.They found a powerful link between loneliness and psychological distress.Even after adjusting for factors like family time, friendships, and social media interaction, people who reported feeling lonely had a 29 to 36 times greater risk of experiencing psychological distress.Think about that for a moment: 29 to 36 times higher risk.And the researchers emphasized that intervention was urgently needed—because loneliness wasn’t just a feeling; it was impacting mental health, stress levels, and even overall functioning.Even simple factors—like having no friends to call, no one to ask for help, eating meals alone—were all linked to higher levels of distress.Loneliness is heavy on the nervous system. It’s not just an emotional experience—it becomes a physiological one.
I’ve also had so many conversations lately—especially with new parents—who are feeling isolated. They tell me,
“Where’s the village? Where is the support system we were supposed to have?”
And it’s heartbreaking, but it’s also a reflection of the way our modern world has evolved.
Where once we naturally had built-in communities, today we have to be intentional about creating them.
We have to be deliberate about building the villages we need.
So now, the question becomes:
How can we intentionally create the village we need?
How can we become that village for each other?
How to Be a Better Friend as an Adult
And this is where we move from wishing for it to becoming it.
Because when we embody what we want to receive, we naturally attract it.
I recently shared a post about this—simple but powerful ways to put effort into adult friendships:
- Send check-in messages: “Hey, I was thinking about you. How have you been?”
- Schedule catch-up calls: “I miss our chats. When can we catch up?”
- Plan intentional meet-ups: Coffee, a walk, a quick dinner—it doesn’t have to be complicated.
- Send thoughtful articles, notes, or memes when something reminds you of them.
- Celebrate their milestones: Big or small.
- Be present during conversations: Not just physically, but emotionally.
- Share your own updates too: Vulnerability builds connection.
- Support their passions: Show interest in what lights them up.
When we do these small things, we create an energy of reciprocity and trust.
We build safe communities one interaction at a time.
And if your current circle doesn’t reflect the depth you’re craving?
That’s okay.
It just means it’s time to courageously look outside your usual spaces. To meet people who are aligned with the values, visions, and energies you want to cultivate.
This is exactly why we host retreats like the Tuscany Self-Worth, Self-Care, and Sisterhood Retreat.
Because sometimes, the connections your soul is seeking aren’t found in your hometown or your usual circles—they’re found in sacred spaces, with people who are also saying yes to their growth, to their expansion, to their higher selves.
Closing Reflection
So today, my invitation for you is this:
- Where can you start being the kind of friend you wish you had?
- Where can you start building your village?
- Where can you show up more fully, more intentionally, and more lovingly—for yourself and others?
Because safe community isn’t something we stumble into.
It’s something we create—with every small, loving action.
Thank you for joining me today. If this episode resonated with you, please share it with someone who might be longing for deeper connection too.
And don’t forget to subscribe so you don’t miss next week’s episode—and check out the show notes for all the details on the Tuscany retreat.
Until next time, keep nurturing your growth, and keep building your village.
Minutes on Growth 