How connected are you?

Woohoo what a rainy weekend we’ve had. I spent it up North with my family cooking, reading, playing games, doing puzzles, and having good old yarns over cups of tea. It was such a lovely and relaxing time that it got me thinking about connection...genuine face-face, non-filtered raw connection. 

Did you know that in a time where we are so unbelievably connected through the wonders of tech, the majority of people all around the world are feeling more alone and disconnected than ever!?

What’s even more crazy is that the highest percentage of these people are under 35yrs - the generation that was pretty much born in the age of social media and networking. 

This research got me curious, so I asked my clients, friends, family and other coaches from around the world what their biggest pains were, and it kept coming up…

Creating and having genuine connections with others.

We are extremely social creatures who crave intimacy, so no matter how many likes, shares, re-tweets or followers we have, it’s never going to replace the feel good vibes we get from face-face interactions. 

Now this isn’t a ‘let’s hate on tech’ discussion, as it has its benefits, it’s more about opening the conversation around what can we be doing differently to feel more connected and fulfilled in our relationships? 
 

My top tips on creating more meaningful connections:

• When you’re with others put your phone away. UNPLUG from tech. You’ll be surprised by how much more engaged and connected you’ll feel giving people your full attention.
• Be 100% present and listen. I love the quote by Stephen Covey ‘We don’t listen to understand, we listen to reply’. Have you ever been in a conversation where the other person is simply ‘replying’? It feels horrible right! With no technology to distract you, commit to engaging with those around you and truly listening to what is going on in their life. Share the experience with them rather than waiting to talk about yourself.
• Ditch your agenda and go with the flow. Often we can hang out with others with a set agenda or schedule to stick to, which turns the whole thing into a task that needs to be accomplished. Connection is not about productivity, it is simply about BEING. So ditch any agenda or expectations and enjoy just hanging.
• Invite people over, or organise a catch up. This is a fabulous way to bring people together and share experiences in a comfortable environment. Also it encourages people who may be feeling alone to get out of the house and connect.

That’s my thoughts for a Monday morning team. Go fourth and connect this week wonderful people! 

Sarah x