This is NPR's Life Kit. I'm Kavitha George.

What does your to-do list look like right now? Maybe it's your turn to pick up snacks for

your kids after school group. You should probably do a grocery run while you're at it.

Your partner's birthday is coming up, the presentation at work. Oh, and don't forget to call

your parents. So let me ask you, where do your friendships rank in your priority list?

Don't feel too bad if they're not somewhere near the top. When we enter adulthood, friendship often

gets overshadowed by all the other relationships and responsibilities we take on.

But psychologist and friendship expert Dr. Marissa Franco is on a crusade to reframe how we

think about our friendships. They shouldn't be second tier, she argues. In fact, she writes in her new

book Platonic, How the Science of Attachment can help you make and keep friends. Friendship is

just as important to your happiness and well-being as your romantic and family ties.

Having social connection is one of the strongest determinants of our happiness.

Out of 106 factors that influence depression, having a confidant is the most powerful.

Loneliness is more fatal than a poor diet or lack of exercise. As corrosive as smoking

15 cigarettes a day. Friendship literally saves our lives.

We all have our own barriers to maintaining friendships. It can feel like there's barely

enough time to hang out, where you might be holding onto destructive habits that are making it

harder to get closer to someone. Marissa has spent years studying friendship and she's compiled

a How-To guide. So this episode of LifeKit steps that you can take to find new friends like a pro,

and deepen the friendships you already have.

You have episodes every Saturday until October. Listen to Dear LifeKit, come NPR.

So Marissa, something you really stressed from the beginning of this book is that friendship is

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