The benefits of connecting with people IRL

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Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. I spent the past few days in the hills, celebrating a milestone birthday of my uncle. The three days I spent with family was nourishing and fun.

Returning to the city I realised that this social connection allowed me to break a pattern of being wired and tired. It elevated my mood and brought a sense of vitality. As I geared up for the week ahead, I wondered what it would take to sustain this feeling.

I looked through research papers that explore narratives of social connections, vitality and collective effervescence. Since the pandemic, our reliance on technology and our phones has significantly increased. Whether in offices or in social settings, people end up being on their phones rather than engaging with one another.

As a result, even though we may be surrounded by people, we experience social isolation. That’s why a celebration in the hills where there was limited network and a shared purpose allowed me and everyone else to be fully present, talk, maintain eye contact, engage in conversation, stay away from our devices and have fun together. To maintain this, we need to learn—as a family and at a structural level as a society—to mindfully create such spaces.

A client recently told me about chancing upon a café where phones weren’t allowed during a trip to Europe. The experience proved to be deeply satisfying and provided social connection as he felt that he had a place to read quietly, talk to strangers, and most importantly, feel present in the moment. It enabled him to feel less anxious and experience a sense of lightness and freedom.