Reflecting on Our Connections
Since 2020, the word ‘connection’ has been placed under a microscope in the greater lexicon. Your boss might ask if self care includes spending time with people close to you. If you live alone, your friends and family might be asking if you’ve needed some quality time to connect. The idea of making sure we all feel ‘connected’ to some network of support is now a daily part of our consciousness.
Today I want to address the importance of reflecting on our connections a little deeper than just ‘did I leave the house today?’. Now that we’re approaching a semi post-COVID world it’s safe to say that our relationships have undergone some changes but what does research about the need for connection and the quality of our connections?
Research and Connection to Others
A 2017 meta analysis study* found that there is a direct correlation between positive mental health and social support, but what does that mean? Social support is typically defined in most research as being the amount of support a person perceives as being accessible to them involving interactions with others. Essentially, this study found that the more an individual perceives available support around them, the more likely they are to experience positive mental health outcomes.
This is a point of empowerment I often try to bring into sessions with my clients. Professional support is one thing, but support from friends, coworkers, family, and community is just as valuable in helping folks feel cared for.
The Quality of Connection
Expanding on the concept of connection; just because we might have people around us does not mean we’re feeling connected.
We can all probably relate to the idea of being in a crowd of people we know and still feeling lonely. The quality of connection is definitely something to reflect on in terms of: Do I feel heard by this person/ these people? Do I feel judged by this person/ these people ? Do I feel like I can share difficult emotions or experiences with this person/ these people?
Where Does Social Media Come In?
In the cases where connection might not be readily accessible in your day to day, social media can make connection accessible in an online space! Not only that, but social media can place you in control of your connections and conversations to others. Now more than ever we can curate our experiences of the type of information we are consuming online. Utilizing spaces that you have control over in order to moderate your connections over topics that are important to you can improve mental health while expanding a network of support, win win!
As we transition (hopefully) into a post COVID world, I hope you’re able to place mindful attention toward reflecting on the folks you feel connected to as well as the questions you can ask about your relationships to help them improve.
*A meta- analysis is generally regarded as being a high quality tool due to the study compiling the results of numerous studies that focus on the same theme or concept.
