Dear Naked Hedgehog,

I hate small talk. I really do. But I realise it is a necessary evil. How can I build connection, be authentic and not feel like I am just wasting my time and energy talking about the weather, TV programmes or how quickly the traffic is or isn’t moving today?

Yours,
Nicky.

Dear Nicky,

To build authentic connections we need to both take risks and establish trust. In different relationships we will need to do both to varying levels but all relationships need to start somewhere.