Alone in a Crowd: One Slow Step Toward Belonging: E20

In this episode of the Go Slow, Go Fast Lifestyle Podcast, Kendra Chapman discusses the theme of loneliness, particularly how it can manifest even in familiar settings. She reflects on her experiences at a swim meet, where she felt disconnected despite being surrounded by others. Kendra emphasizes the importance of building strong social connections and offers practical steps for listeners to reconnect with their local communities. The episode encourages intentional living and highlights the significance of relationships for overall well-being.

Show Notes

Welcome to the Go Slow to Go Fast Lifestyle Podcast—the space where we breathe deeply, live more intentionally, and find meaning in the messy middle of life. I’m your host, Kendra Chapman—mom of triplets, busy professional, caffeine lover, and big believer in slowing down so we can show up fully.

If you’re a busy woman navigating career, motherhood, midlife changes—or all of the above—you’re in good company. Around here, we don’t chase perfection. We build rhythms that support peace, clarity, and joy.

Today’s episode is for anyone who’s ever looked around a room—surrounded by people—and still felt completely alone. We’ll unpack how loneliness can sneak up on us in the most familiar places, and I’ll offer a few gentle, research-backed steps to help you rebuild rooted connections—right in your own community.

So whether you're listening during your commute, folding laundry, or sneaking a few minutes of quiet with something warm in your hands—this moment is just for you. Take a breath. Let the noise soften. Let’s begin.

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☕ Segment 1: What’s Bringing Me Hygge This Week

This week, it was something simple… and kind of surprising: a swim meet.

I showed up for my boys like I always do—arms full, heart full, doing the mom thing. The scene was buzzing: tents going up, whistles blowing, sunscreen everywhere. I pitched in to help raise a canopy (because I always do), smiled at a few familiar faces, made small talk.

But something inside me felt… off. Disconnected. Like I was floating through it, not rooted in it.

It wasn’t anyone’s fault. No one was unkind. But I realized—I’ve spent so many years building connections in other places that I haven’t invested in the people right here in my everyday life. The ones who sit on these same bleachers. The ones whose kids swim alongside mine.

That quiet realization stayed with me all day.

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✨ Segment 2: Hygge Highlight – One Step Toward Belonging

You’ve heard me talk about Hygge—that Danish concept of cozy contentment. But this week reminded me that Hygge isn’t always candles and cocoa.

Sometimes Hygge looks like proximity.
Like showing up.
Like taking one small, intentional step toward connection—even when it feels awkward or vulnerable.

Here’s what research says:

• The Harvard Adult Development Study (the longest-running happiness study ever) found that strong, consistent social connections are the single greatest predictor of long-term well-being. Not wealth. Not career milestones. Relationships.

• Even “weak ties”—the barista you greet weekly, the neighbor on her morning walk, the swim dad who offers you a chair—can significantly increase your sense of belonging and emotional resilience (University of Chicago, 2021).

So what does that mean for us, practically?

Here are four slow, simple ways to reconnect locally:

1. Say yes to a local event—even if it feels small or unfamiliar.