Positive connections with other people can lift your mood
4 min ⋅
Well-being isn’t the result of one thing, but the combination and accumulation of many things over time. If we think of well-being as a bank account, any ‘healthy habit’ will lead to a surplus, whilst any ‘bad habit’ will lead to a debt which has to be paid back at some point.
One important driver of well-being is social connections. In life and work, far more can be achieved by collaborating and working with other people who align with our values. However, while we’re living in a time when we’re more connected than ever before, the irony is that many of us also feel more isolated. These feelings of isolation and subsequent loneliness can have serious consequences for our well-being, with some studies showing a clear link between loneliness and increased mortality, heart disease and mental health concerns[1].
So what can you do to build and develop positive connections with other people? Education and work are great places to start, but in this digital age, expanding and deepening your relationships has never been easier. Here are six ideas that will help:
Work in a supportive environment
Such a big chunk of our lives is spent in the workplace, so it is important to be around positive people that build you up, rather than make you feel unimportant and undervalued.
If you find yourself in a negative environment, set an intention to change where you work, either by positively influencing the environment you’re part of, or moving to a different team that puts greater emphasis on their employees’ wellbeing.
Start a meetup group
Connecting with people who share the same passions as you can positively impact your wellbeing. One way to do this is to start your own meetup group. You’ll get to meet a whole set of like-minded people, practice your leadership skills and help others, which in itself is a driver of wellbeing. If you’re not ready to start your own group, take a look for groups that already exist in your area – you’ll be surprised how many different ones there are!
Learn a new skill
Challenging yourself to learn a new skill and expand your knowledge causes your brain cells to make new connections [2]. Likewise, if you want to form new connections with people, you might find learning taking a course is a great way to do it.
Learning a new skill often leads to great friendships, as you have all chosen to study the same thing at exactly the same point and practice it regularly together. The excitement you experience when mastering a new technique or task, and the chance to support others as they do the same, can also form strong bonds and boost your mood, making it a win-win for everyone.
Help others in need
Research shows that helping others is one of the key routes to happiness. You often see it when disasters occur and people come together to help each other out, forming a sense of camaraderie and community as they do. But it doesn’t have to be on a global scale - there are lots of opportunities to lend a hand in our local communities. You could volunteer in a soup kitchen, take on a role in a local charity fundraiser, or help out in your child’s school.
Anything and everything helps, even simply checking in on an elderly neighbor to make sure they’re ok, and you gain a good feeling by making others’ lives a little easier too.
Phone a friend
What a time we are living in! We can literally text our friend living on the other side of the world and get a response in seconds. Never before has this been possible.
But the downside is that we have become so accustomed to sending a quick text to people, or commenting on an Instagram or Facebook post, that many of us rarely put in the energy to really connect with people. Instead of texting, why not call a friend to say hi, or ask them out to coffee and engage with them at a deeper level if they live locally. It will really cement your relationship and can be truly uplifting for both of you.
Carry out acts of kindness to others
You can make connections anywhere. In the street, in a shop, at the hairdresser. Try saying a few positive words at the local grocery store, even if it’s praising their selection or commenting on the weather. Any positive connection is health-promoting and an opportunity to make a good impression.
Wherever you are in your life right now, connecting with other people is a great way to boost your wellbeing. Together we are definitely stronger, and small steps can make all the difference.
- Loneliness Matters: A Theoretical and Empirical Review of Consequences and Mechanisms NCBI, December 30, 2013.
- Harnessing neuroplasticity for clinical applications National Library of Medicine. April 9, 2011.