In a pandemic situation, it is challenging to connect with others as you cannot see people face-to-face—my post called “Fun Vs. Philanthropic,” discussed how beneficial it is to help other people as it gives you a “morphine high,” resulting in an energizing feeling of happiness. For the last few weeks, I told myself that I had to connect with three people each day differently. For example, I would offer to care for my dogs to let my mum have fun with what she was doing. I actively engaged with my father and sister as we spoke about common interests and created scenarios of our future together. I spend a few hours chatting with friends about anything and making sure I ask them how their day went that day.
By consciously thinking of making these connections and valuing every second of it, I find far more satisfaction out of life. I also make sure that I make these connections, and each day, it gets easier, and I have more connections. People use a standard quote in positive psychology, and that is “Other People Matter.” By seeing these words, you can understand it is a communal approach instead of a selfish one. Additionally, scientific evidence displays that positive emotions are far more beneficial when you experience it with someone. I find that everyday tasks that I would generally find boring turn into a spectacle by having one friend.
While it is easy to make this connection in person, some people lack having these connections because the phones are not as capable. If you have people in your house, perform this activity with them, share it with them, and discuss results and how it made them feel for that day. Working with others ensures that you actively complete this activity and be grateful for it. The closest thing to these connections is seeing their faces and hearing their voices through FaceTime and Skype. At this time of the year, my family from Australia would have spent time with me. This year that did not end up happening, which was devastating because we always have so much fun together and am happier when I am with them. Thankfully, technology allows me to speak to them and have somewhat of the same connection.
I did to experience these connections was to speak with a friend in their driveway following approach pandemic guidelines. After a few months of seeing nobody, it felt great to see my friend again and finally talk with no restrictions. Following that day, I realized how much I missed school and seeing my friends daily. Speaking with people in your home or even pets is a great way to find your way, not be able to see people as you usually would, and still experience these connections.
I am angry that the United States did not deal with Covid-19 better because people need human connection even if they do not think they do. Being in isolation for so long can be detrimental to any individual’s happiness and development, especially those transitioning into adulthood. Thankfully, there are loopholes to continuing these connections and being as happy as you possibly can. I encourage you to think about the three most beneficial connections you had each day to sleep and be grateful for having those people in your life. I ended up sleeping better and felt more inclined to having these connections and avoiding my introvert tendencies.
PLEASE make time to connect with others as it is harder in their turbulent times. This simple activity you can perform before sleeping emphasizes the need to do that and forces you to value/look forward to any connection.
