Today I would like to talk more about another piece of the whole health model, that of our greater society and culture. Though one aspect of our social lives, that of ethnic and cultural traditions, can be highly resourcing and supportive to our emotional well-being, the current social forces which most Americans find themselves, can, I would argue, be alienating and dis-empowering. To some degree, everyone can recognize how the hectic pace and rapid rate of change of our daily lives can increase our levels of stress and general anxiety. However, of a more insidious nature is the ever increasing loss of face-to-face interactions with those we know and love within a stable, close community. The forces behind this loss can come from financial and material pressures which often lead to our work life taking over other aspects of our lives. These pressures slowly and subtly lead to less time for real life human interaction and connection based on issues that really mater – individual happiness and well-being and community cohesiveness. Decreased quality interaction with family and friends denies a whole realm of our being – expressing and sharing humor, creativity, conviviality, mutual care for one another – that have nourished and healed us as individuals and communities for thousands of years.

This post’s stress tip flows from the above observations (and just happens to be similar to my last tip). As an antidote to the stress of our society’s frenetic pace I recommend consciously making face-to-face human connection more of a priority in our daily lives. It could be in the form of informal, spontaneous reaching out to family and friends. How this can be done is only limited by one’s creativity: delivering a home-made pie to a neighbor, making a long neglected visit to an extended family member, offering to babysit a niece of nephew. We can also create more contact with others through more organized activities like joining groups structured around recreational themes or through volunteering with organizations that give back to society (mentoring youth or working at a soup kitchen). This last suggestion has the added benefit of cultivating more meaning and purpose in our lives.

Please visit my web site at http://www.harborcounseling.net to learn more about my work as a therapist.
Wishing you peace and happiness!