“Unlocking Loneliness: 4 Surprising Behaviors You Didn’t Know Were Sabotaging Your Friendships”
What surprised me most? How small shifts in my behavior made such a big difference. Here are 4 subtle habits I didn’t realize were pushing people away—and what changed when I finally let them go.
The small habits that kept people at arm’s length
One of the biggest things holding me back was my instinct to keep conversations surface-level. I was great at chatting about work, weekend plans, or the latest TV shows—but when someone asked me a personal question, I’d deflect without even thinking.
If a friend asked how I was really doing, I’d brush it off with a joke or quickly turn the conversation back to them. I told myself I was just being easygoing, and that no one wanted to hear me ramble about my problems. But in reality, I was shutting down opportunities for connection before they even had a chance to grow.
