Friendship, Chosen Family & the Grief of Letting Go — with Alex Alexander

What does it really mean to belong? In this powerful episode of How to Belong, I’m joined by Alex Alexander — connection advocate, speaker, and host of the Friendship IRL podcast — for an honest conversation about the role friendship plays in our survival, identity, and healing.

Alex knows, deeply, that we aren’t meant to do life alone. Through her own story — shaped by childhood loneliness and a longing for support — she built the kind of chosen family she always needed. And now, she helps others do the same.

Together, we explore the real heart of friendship: not just the joy of being seen, but the pain of letting go. Not just the celebration of connection, but the grief when friendships shift, fade, or end.

This is a conversation about creating your village — and holding space for the seasons when it unravels.

In This Episode:

• Why friendship is a form of survival
• How chosen family helps us feel grounded, safe, and like we belong
• The quiet heartbreak of friendship breakups and slow fades
• Navigating static seasons — when friendships stop growing but still matter
• How to move through the grief of changing relationships without blame or shame
• What it means to build connection with intention, and why it’s never too late to begin again
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Why It Matters:

We often talk about romantic love or family as our main support systems. But friendship — deep, intentional friendship — can be just as life-giving. And when those friendships change or end, we feel it in our bones.

Alex reminds us that connection is not a luxury. It’s what gets us through. And belonging isn’t about being surrounded by people all the time — it’s about knowing who will show up, and who we are when we’re with them.

About Alex:

Alex Alexander is the host of Friendship IRL, a podcast and platform that explores the messiness and magic of adult friendship. She helps people build and sustain meaningful relationships, offering tools for connection rooted in compassion, realism, and deep care.

Links & Resources:

• Learn more about Alex’s work → https://alexalexander.com

Reflection Prompt:

Whose absence are you grieving? Whose presence still anchors you? Let this episode be a gentle reminder: yo

u’re allowed to release, rebuild, and belong — all at once.

Follow Naomi Lloyd, host of How to Belong, for more conversations, insights, and reflections on the messy, beautiful business of finding your place in the world.

• Visit www.naomielloyd.com for more on belonging
• Explore Naomi’s photography work at www.naomilloyd.co.uk