Tapping into the Power of Community (For extroverts AND introverts!)

The restrictions from the pandemic has left many looking for a renewed sense of connection. Online get togethers got us through social distancing, but there seems to be a growing desire to meet up again in person.

You might be reading that and thinking “Not me! I thrived with more alone time”, and while that might be true (we all need opportunities to recharge) even introverts need a community they can tap into just as much as extroverts!

We’ve written before about how creating connection can help with feelings of loneliness (a major trigger for emotional eating), but getting a feeling of connection doesn’t have to mean a filled-to-the-brim calendar of social events. It is true that you can have a small circle of friends that you feel close to or be surrounded by many people and feel lonely. Connecting with others isn’t about the number of people you interact with or events you attend, it’s how it makes you feel! So, here are some ideas for you to try out in your own life to create connection and see what you’re comfortable with (or even better, try something new!):

• Nod at a stranger as you pass them on your hiking trail or shopping in the grocery store. This non-verbal interaction may seem tiny, but it creates a link between you and someone in your physical community.
• Make use of someone’s name tag when you’re ordering coffee or being helped in a store. Weaving someone’s name into a light conversation creates immediate connection and makes that person feel seen.
• Join a book club, knitting circle, dance class or something similar! Not only will this bring new people into your life, it allows you to use the activity as a conversation starter—especially helpful if you’re nervous with small talk.
• Take a chance on getting a coffee with that co-worker or parent at the park you shared a joke or glance with. This creates a low-pressure situation that allows you to create a new level of closeness and see if this person could be a new potential friend. Plus: the length of a coffee meeting can be a short or long experience depending on how it goes!
• Actively schedule face-to-face get togethers with your friends instead of leaving it to texts. It is so easy to allow life’s busyness to be the excuse for prolonged periods between seeing those you care about in person. Choose two or three people you’ve been meaning to reconnect with and set a date and time. It can be as simple as a lunch hour walk or as involved as a potluck dinner!

Give one of these a try and consider how it makes you feel. Get curious about what drains you or what lights you up! Maybe a noisy restaurant is a strain on conversation as you yell to keep up, but a one-on-one chat with a friend before a yoga class gives you a buzz. Keep in mind it might not only be the kind of interaction that drains you, it might be the people too! You might have to play around with a few variables to figure out your own personal connection sweet spot.

💛 Your peace awaits.