The Power of Connection
A few weeks ago, I learned my Facebook account was being impersonated. They were using my FB picture and banner. It looked so legit. Ugh!!! I was able to see which of my friends had accepted the fake friend request, so I reached out to each of them via text or email to let them know that it wasn’t me.
Some of the people were friends and acquaintances I hadn’t seen or spoken to in over 10 years. The silver lining to the whole mess was that I re-connected to several people I had not connected with in many years. It felt so good to catch up and it got me thinking about how I need to do a better job building and maintaining my connections with other people. At that moment, I decided my word for 2024 was going to be CONNECTION.
The busyness of life makes it hard. It takes intentional work, but it is worth it. According to the Centers for Disease Control, social connections with others can help prevent serious illness and outcomes such as heart disease, stroke, dementia, depression, and anxiety. The research also reported people with stronger social bonds have a 50% greater likelihood of survival than those with fewer social connections.
The reason for these positive outcomes is that being connected to other people promotes healthy eating and activity which helps with weight management and the ripple effect of that is better overall health. Having other people to talk to helps improve your ability to recover from stress, anxiety, and depression. It also improves your sleep which contributes to a positive well-being and quality of life.
Here are some ideas to improve your social connections:
Family – Spend 1:1 time with family members, near and far, and endeavor to be disconnected from your electronics so you can give each other your undivided attention.
Friends – Identify your friends that have fallen off your radar that you want to reconnect with and reach out. Call them, email them, or go old school and write them a letter. This will almost always ensure they reach back out.
Co-Workers – Invite a co-worker to join you for lunch, a walk, or some other activity. Here’s the key: Don’t talk about work stuff. Use that time to get to know each other personally. Hint …. Hint … Hint, I always include an Express Desk Stretch video with each of these posts. Invite them to join you to stretch. You can do this together in person or virtually if you work remotely. If you lead a team, check out this post on fostering better connections at work for ideas to help your employees build stronger relationships.
Expand Your Network – Join social clubs or volunteer. This will connect you with people who have a common interest as you. Plus, both often involve doing something positive for your community which also stimulates positive feeling hormones.
Here are a couple of things to keep in mind no matter who you are interacting with. First, practice active listening. Show genuine interest in what others have to say by asking open-ended questions and responding thoughtfully. This fosters deeper understanding and empathy in your relationships. Second, be patient. Remember, building and improving relationships takes time and effort. Stay consistent and it will pay off with all the benefits outlined above and more.
Here is your Express Desk Stretch video to re-energize and rejuvenate your day and, maybe, create social connection by inviting others to join you.
If you find these posts and linked videos helpful to your mental and physical well-being, please share them with friends, family, and colleagues. That will encourage me to keep making them.
Kindly yours,
Anita