On Purpose with Jay Shetty

Friendship can feel effortless when we’re young, but as life grows busier and our paths begin to diverge, maintaining meaningful relationships becomes far more complex. Today, Jay brings together powerful conversations with a group of insightful guests to explore why adult friendships change and what it truly takes to build connections that last. Together, these perspectives reveal that friendship isn’t something that simply happens, it’s something we intentionally create and nurture over time.
Mel Robbins explains why friendships often become harder after our twenties, describing the “great scattering” that happens when people move in different directions and life timelines begin to shift. Andrew Huberman explores the science behind connection and why simple habits like checking in with someone or asking deeper questions can help us feel more seen and understood. Robin Sharma reflects on the idea that a few truly meaningful friendships can be more powerful than a large social circle, encouraging us to focus on relationships that bring joy, growth, and mutual support.
Trevor Noah shares how his closest friends help anchor him through the loneliness of touring and remind him who he is during difficult moments. Marianna Hewitt talks about the importance of protecting your energy and choosing friendships that leave you feeling energized rather than drained. Together, these conversations remind us that real friendships aren’t defined by how often we see someone, but by the depth of trust, acceptance, and connection we create with the people who truly matter.
In this episode, you'll learn:
How to Build Meaningful Friendships as an Adult
How to Reach Out to Friends You’ve Lost Touch With
How to Build a Support System That Truly Lasts
How to Maintain Friendships Even When Life Gets Busy
How to Strengthen Your Circle With Small Daily Habits
Real friendships are built through small moments, checking in, being present, listening without judgment, and showing up during both the joyful and difficult times. When we make the effort to reach out, to be vulnerable, and to be present for the people around us, we create connections that can carry us through every stage of life.
With Love and Gratitude,
Jay Shetty.
JAY’S DAILY WISDOM DELIVERED STRAIGHT TO YOUR INBOX
Join 900,000+ readers discovering how small daily shifts create big life change with my free newsletter.Subscribe here: https://news.jayshetty.me/subscribe
Check out our Apple subscription to unlock bonus content of On Purpose! https://lnk.to/JayShettyPodcast
What We Discuss:
00:00 Intro
01:50 Why is It So Hard To Make Friends as an Adult?
11:04 Understanding the Loneliness Crisis
22:04 Let Joy Guide Your Friendships
23:30 What Makes a Truly Great Friend?
25:58 How to Create Perfect Moments Together
29:52 Why Friendship Is a Choice
40:52 Recognizing Your Energy Drainers
44:28 Building Your Core Circle of Friends
46:36 Creating Healthy Social Circles
48:54 Mindful Eating When Socializing
51:03 Compromises That Strengthen Friendships
56:21 Being Raw and Real with Friends
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today, Jay sits down with communication expert Jefferson Fisher to explore why the conversations we avoid often shape our lives the most. Drawing from his experience as a trial lawyer turned teacher, Jefferson shares a powerful truth: communication isn’t about winning arguments, it’s about building peace. When we learn to face difficult conversations head on with clarity, courage, and compassion we stop people-pleasing, reconnect with who we truly are, and create deeper, more honest relationships. Avoidance may feel safer in the moment, but it always comes at a cost.
Together, Jay and Jefferson unpack why so many conflicts spiral, not because of what’s said, but because of what’s heard. From romantic relationships to family dynamics, they reveal how most arguments are really about the need to feel understood, valued, and safe. Jefferson shares simple yes transformative tools, like asking “What did you hear?” or pausing to breathe before responding, that help slow heated moments and turn reaction into connection. He explains that true emotional intelligence is the ability to repair quickly, validate feelings without needing to agree, and choose understanding over defensiveness.
In this interview, you'll learn:
How to Face Difficult Conversations Without Fear
How to Say the Hard Thing Without Starting a Fight
How to Stay Calm When You Feel Triggered
How to Make Someone Feel Understood Without Agreeing
How to Repair a Conversation After You Mess Up
How to Slow Down Arguments Before They Escalate
How to Build Deeper Relationships Through Better Conversations
Every honest sentence, every pause to breathe, every moment you choose understanding over reaction is a step toward a more peaceful life. Growth doesn’t come from avoiding what’s hard, it comes from meeting it with intention, patience, and compassion.
Get your own copy of Jefferson’s latest book, The Next Conversation: Argue Less, Talk More
With Love and Gratitude,
Jay Shetty
JAY’S DAILY WISDOM DELIVERED STRAIGHT TO YOUR INBOX
Join 900,000+ readers discovering how small daily shifts create big life change with my free newsletter. Subscribe here.
Check out our Apple subscription to unlock bonus content of On Purpose! https://lnk.to/JayShettyPodcast
What We Discuss:
00:00 Intro
01:11 How Good Communication Creates a Life of Peace
02:14 Why Facing Difficult Conversations Changes Everything
04:53 Your Fear of Upsetting Others Is Valid
06:45 The Biggest Communication Mistake We All Make
09:45 Can You Actually Change Someone’s Mind?
12:31 How to Reach Someone Who Refuses to Communicate
16:17 Winning Arguments Should Never Be the Goal
19:43 What to Do When Your Partner Triggers You
21:21 The Patience Required to Create Real Connection
25:42 How Should I Respond to the Silent Treatment?
30:13 The Clearest Sign Someone Doesn’t Truly Care
32:10 When a Relationship May Be Beyond Repair
35:00 Why Radical Honesty Strengthens Relationships
38:03 When Your Partner Can’t Handle the Hard Conversations
41:31 The Small Moments Where Repair Gets Missed
44:20 Do You Feel Judged by Your Parents?
51:53 How to Say No Without Feeling Guilty
55:14 How to Stop Saying Things You Don’t Mean
58:04 Setting Boundaries That Actually Stick
01:00:37 What to Do When a Coworker Keep Interrupting You
01:03:15 Overexplaining Undermines Your Confidence
01:06:06 Breaking the Us vs. Them Mentality
01:11:25 Jefferson on Final Five
Episode Resources:
Website | https://www.jeffersonfisher.com/
Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/jefferson_fisher/
YouTube | https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXjnpu6lK0HoUyOMh2ZBwhQ
TikTok | https://www.tiktok.com/@justaskjefferson
Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/justaskjefferson/
X | https://x.com/jefferson_fishr
LinkedIn | https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffersonfisher/
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If a breakup has ever left you feeling physically sick, emotionally lost, and not feeling like yourself, nothing is wrong with you. You’re grieving.
Today, Jay speaks directly to anyone navigating the quiet devastation of heartbreak, reminding them that nothing is “wrong” with them for feeling the way they do. He explains that breakups don’t just hurt emotionally, they activate the same neural pathways as physical pain and withdrawal. What you’re experiencing isn’t weakness or failure; it’s grief. Jay reframes the end of a relationship not simply as losing a person, but as losing a future you imagined, the routines your nervous system depended on, and the version of yourself that existed within that relationship.
Jay walks us through the five stages of breakup grief, showing how numbness is a form of protection, why the mind gets stuck in rumination after loss, and how anger can signal the return of self-respect. Rather than rushing to “move on,” he encourages simple practices like building small routines, writing down obsessive thoughts, setting boundaries, and resisting the highlight reel your mind creates that makes you only remember the good. The stages aren’t a straight line, but a map that helps you move through uncertainty with more grace and self-compassion.
In this episode, you'll learn:
How to Rebuild Your Routine After a Breakup
How to Break the Cycle of Rumination
How to Express Anger in a Healthy Way
How to Set Boundaries That Protect Your Healing
How to Move Through Sadness Without Rushing It
How to Create Meaning After Loss
Be gentle with yourself in this season. Lean on the people who show up for you. Rebuild your routines slowly. One day, this chapter will no longer be the center of your story, it will be the turning point that makes you wiser, stronger, and more secure in who you are.
With Love and Gratitude,
Jay Shetty
Join over 750,000 people to receive my most transformative wisdom directly in your inbox every single week with my free newsletter. Subscribe here.
What We Discuss:
00:00 Intro
02:19 Biggest Mistake Made During a Break Up
02:34 You’re Actually Experiencing Grief
07:40 Stage #1: Shock and Denial
10:12 2 Ways to Overcome the Shock
12:58 Stage #2: Bargaining and Obsession
17:45 Stage #3: Anger and Protest
21:49 Stage #4: Sadness and Depression
24:33 Stage #5: Acceptance and Meaning
26:24 This is How You Heal
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For many women, the real challenge isn’t just unexplained health problems, it’s being heard when they seek help.
Jay sits down with Dr. Thaïs Aliabadi, or "Dr. A", to unpack a silent crisis affecting millions of women around the world: undiagnosed PCOS and endometriosis. This isn’t just a discussion about fertility, but a masterclass on hormones, inflammation, mental health, and the painful reality of medical gaslighting. PCOS, a condition shaped by insulin resistance, hormonal imbalance, chronic inflammation, and neurological disruption, is often overlooked, leaving women struggling with anxiety, depression, weight gain, irregular periods, and infertility without answers. Dr. A shares how insulin resistance acts as the “first domino,” triggering a domino effect that impacts everything from ovulation to mood, and emphasizes that true healing requires addressing all four pillars, not just masking symptoms with birth control.
Dr. A challenges the outdated belief that painful periods are “normal,” explaining that severe pain, painful sex, chronic bloating, bladder symptoms, and bowel discomfort are signs something deeper may be wrong. She reveals that diagnosis takes an average of 9–11 years, and that many women are told their pain is psychological before they’re ever taken seriously.
Through both science and lived clinical experience, she makes it clear: when inflammation and hormones are out of balance, mental health suffers too. Anxiety, depression, brain fog, and eating disorders are not personal failings, they are often physiological signals that something deeper is happening in the body.
In this interview, you'll learn:
How to Recognize the Signs of PCOS Early
How to Reduce Insulin Resistance Naturally
How to Tell if Your Period Pain Is “Normal”
How to Protect Your Fertility in Your 20s and 30s
How to Balance Hormones Beyond Birth Control
How to Spot Hidden Symptoms of Endometriosis
How to Lower Inflammation Through Lifestyle Changes
If there’s one thing to take away from this conversation, it’s this: your body is not working against you, it’s communicating with you. Pain is not weakness. It is a signal and you deserve to have those signals taken seriously.
To learn more about Dr. A’s advocacy on women’s health, check out: https://www.shemdpodcast.com/
With Love and Gratitude,
Jay Shetty
JAY’S DAILY WISDOM DELIVERED STRAIGHT TO YOUR INBOX
Join 900,000+ readers discovering how small daily shifts create big life change with my free newsletter. Subscribe here: https://news.jayshetty.me/subscribe
Check out our Apple subscription to unlock bonus content of On Purpose! https://lnk.to/JayShettyPodcast
What We Discuss:
00:00 Intro
02:58 Are We Facing a Fertility Crisis?
03:58 What Is PCOS?
07:13 Why PCOS Often Goes Undiagnosed
09:15 The Impact of Insulin Resistance
15:06 Making PCOS Patients Insulin-Sensitive
19:37 The Nutritional Effects of GLP-1 Medications
22:14 High Androgens and Chronic Inflammation
25:39 How Hormonal Imbalances Affect the Brain
29:25 Why Birth Control Alone Isn’t Enough
31:23 How to Know If You Have PCOS
35:01 Painful Periods Are Not Normal
36:47 What Is Endometriosis?
46:07 The Most Effective Treatment Approach for Endometriosis
49:20 The Risks of Ignoring Endometriosis
53:09 How to Use Birth Control Strategically
56:04 What to Do If Egg Freezing Isn’t an Option
57:53 The Link Between Endometriosis and Leaky Gut
01:00:33 Potential IVF Complications Explained
01:04:38 A Scientific Approach to Infertility
01:10:01 What to Do If You’re Not Getting Pregnant
Episode Resources:
Website: https://ovii.com/
Website: https://www.draliabadi.com/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrej0PO97bg8GRMogtcKbbA
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ThaisAliabadiMd
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drthaisaliabadi/
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today, Jay sits down with cultural icon Hilary Duff for a raw and honest conversation about growth, identity, and the quiet courage it takes to evolve in public. Having grown up alongside an entire generation, Hilary reflects on what it means to return to music after more than a decade with her sixth studio album, Luck or Something. She opens up about shedding politeness in favor of truth, embracing maturity without losing the joy of her past, and finally feeling rooted in who she is, not just as an artist, but as a woman, a mother, a partner, and a daughter.
Jay and Hilary explore the hidden weight of fame, the loss of anonymity at a young age, and the resilience required to stay grounded in an industry that constantly defines you before you can define yourself. Hilary speaks vulnerably about navigating eating disorders, divorce, co-parenting, estrangement with family, and the reality of loving people through complicated relationships. Through it all, she shares how motherhood reshaped her priorities, how love taught her to accept stability over chaos, and how creativity became a necessary way of reconnecting with herself. Hilary’s reflections reveal a powerful truth: what the world often calls luck is usually years of quiet strength, hard choices, and inner work.
In this interview, you'll learn:
How to Trust Your Intuition Over “Luck”
How to Grow Without Rejecting Your Past
How to Accept Healthy Love (Even When It Feels Unfamiliar)
How to Break Family Patterns Without Losing Compassion
How to Balance Motherhood and Personal Ambition
How to Hold Joy and Pain at the Same Time
How to Reinvent Yourself Without Losing Who You Are
You are allowed to choose steadiness over chaos, truth over politeness, and peace over performance. Growth isn’t always loud, sometimes it’s simply deciding you don’t want to repeat the same pattern again.
With Love and Gratitude,
Jay Shetty
JAY’S DAILY WISDOM DELIVERED STRAIGHT TO YOUR INBOX
Join 900,000+ readers discovering how small daily shifts create big life change with my free newsletter. Subscribe here.
Check out our Apple subscription to unlock bonus content of On Purpose! https://lnk.to/JayShettyPodcast
What We Discuss:
00:00 Intro
01:04 The Joy of Being Celebrated
02:46 Choosing Truth Over Politeness
05:15 What’s a Childhood Memory That Keeps You Grounded?
06:56 The Truth About Growing Up in the Public Eye
11:38 Learning to Feel at Home in Your Own Skin
14:22 Where Real Confidence Comes From
19:08 Opening Your Heart to Love Again
21:28 Understanding the Weight of Marriage
25:03 Deciding to Fully Commit
26:24 Trusting Your Intuition
27:28 Owning the Work Behind Your Success
30:36 The Burden of Being the Family Peacemaker
36:18 Navigating Divorce with Intention
38:26 Sharing Your Story on Your Terms
43:50 Holding Joy and Hardship at the Same Time
46:44 Healing and Connecting Through Music
51:49 The Hilary Duff Renaissance
54:50 Staying Attuned to Your Children’s Needs
01:00:59 Building Confidence as a Parent
01:02:26 How Did You Name Your Kids?
01:04:27 Disney-Era “Would You Rather”
01:08:42 Hilary on Final Five
Episode Resources:
Website | https://www.hilaryduff.com/
YouTube | https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSRmCrFvCPomTqjzwoF9MGw
Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/HilaryDuff/
Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/hilaryduff/
TikTok | https://x.com/hilaryduff
X | https://x.com/hilaryduff
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.