Are you feeling 'disconnected'?

The Importance of Connection for Mental Well-Being

According to the Canadian Mental Health Association: “Social connection can lower anxiety and depression, help us regulate our emotions, lead to higher self-esteem and empathy, and actually improve our immune systems”.

One of the interesting things we learned during the COVID pandemic is that our need to socially interact with others is important.  We realized how the loss of that connection affected our well-being.  Further, moving to a remote working environment led to the loss of engagement socially with work colleagues, a place of disconnection and further isolation.

Historically, family homes were dwellings housing multi-generational members.  In fact, there are many parts of the world where this socio-economic model still exists.  Modern day living can often mean that we live alone, may not even know the name of our neighbors, and in turn a feeling of disconnection with our community.

When depressed it is particularly difficult to find ways to connect.  We tend to self-isolate and withdraw from the world.  Sometimes even the idea of getting dressed and going outside seems daunting.  Maybe the only connection we feel with the outside world is what we can see through our windows (if we are lucky enough to have an outside window on the world). Feelings of loneliness can lead to an increased level of depression.

Anxiety can lead to a place where our fears prevent us from reaching out to others in the community, making our world a much smaller but perceived “safe” place.

In his article, “Social ties and health: the benefits of social integration” Dr. T. Seeman describes social isolation as a “Disengagement from social ties, institutional connections, or community participation.”

According to Dr. Galen Buckwalter (a leading research psychologist), “Social relationships are core for resilience.”

A dose of positive human connection is arguably just as important as our daily vitamins.

So how do we connect when we are feeling less than optimal?

• Connect with friends and family or a person you have a good relationship with daily if possible, or at least once a week.  This could be as simple as a phone call, video call or a face-to-face visit.

  
  

• Group activities have proved to be very beneficial so look for activities or groups that meet weekly or at least once per month. Volunteering or learning a new hobby, craft or skill is a good way of interacting in a group environment.

  
  

• Sometimes connecting with nature can be beneficial so try and increase your outdoor activity even if you start with five minutes a day and work it up to longer periods of time.