Our social connections matter. Research shows that happy people spend more time with others and have a richer set of social connections than unhappy people. Studies even show that the simple act of talking to a stranger on the street can boost our mood more than we expect.
I have seen the quality of my live and my feelings of happiness greatly increase by challenging myself to make one new social connection per day. It can be a small 5-minute act like sparking a conversation with someone on public transportation, asking a coworker about his/her day, or even chatting to the barista at a coffee shop. It just makes me feel so much more connected to the world around me! Ideally we should also be seeking out more meaningful social connections too, of course.
At least once this week, take a whole hour to connect with someone you care about— a friend who’s far away or a family member you haven’t talked to in a while. The key is that you must prioritize the time needed to genuinely connect with another person with no distractions. At the end of the day, list the social connection you made and notice how you feel when you jot it down. This process of keeping track of the connections we make and the feelings associated with them reinforces these important practices in our lives and encourages us to keep them up!
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