Being Connected

So I am off to meet the neighbours…

A sense of belonging is an important component of our well being. Studies have shown that not being connected is a good predictor of depression (University of Michigan, Daily Science, Aug 1999) Other studies, from the Mayo Clinic in the USA, report that feeling that you belong to a community dramatically boosts resilience and the ability to bounce back from profound setbacks.

So with most of us living busy lives in busy, anonymous cities, how do we get this sense of connectedness?

I posed the question to a friend f mine who is a psychologist. She believed that one of the most simple and effective solutions is to take the time to talk and help neighbours. It sounds so obvious but it seems that long working hours, hiding in our cars (as opposed to walking) and an over hurried lifestyle has hampered our natural instinct to meet the people living right next door.

So – the first step would be to find out who they are. Do you know your neighbours?

A batch of cookies, a note in their letterbox introducing yourself, or a knock on the door…it takes courage but you will be improving your (and their) health and resilience. Who are the people in your neighbourhood? (one of my favourite Sesame Street Songs)