After the last couple of years, living through a pandemic, you might agree that the isolation has not been good for most people. For someone living with anxiety, it can be tempting to avoid people and leaving the house (aka triggers).

In reality, although you avoid certain triggers, you miss out on one very important thing for your mental health.

Connection

For me, coming from a family with mental health issues, a huge motivation to be connected is prevention. During the pandemic, I experienced the difference between the deep connection you have with friends and family compared to lighter, but more frequent connection I had with others in my neighbourhood for instance.

Going to the bakery and sharing a little joke with the owner or chatting with my local baristas about the way flowers are planted on the bridges over the canals became more important (or more prominent) in my life than before.

I realised what a big role they played in my day to day life. Those moments give colour, no matter how small. I often watch the elderly residents in my neighbourhood, partly to make sure they don’t fall or to make eye contact with them and share a smile. But I also wonder about their lives and whether they connect enough with people. I expect not and it worries me.

So, not only are there so many connections I CAN make in the day when I leave my apartment, there are also some important connections that I absolutely carve time out for. One of those is my bootcamp with Wilson’s Workouts. I’ve have been attending Lorna Wilson’s PT, bootcamp or benefitting from her biomechanics sessions for years and have known her for even longer.

I know I’m not the only one.

We all love the bootcamp and the women we meet each week. We don’t have a lot of crossover in our lives otherwise, but love to meet up every Wednesday at 9am in the park. One of our bootcamp friends currently has long-covid and every time I run into her in the street, she talks about how much she misses it. She even came just for the warm up one week, just to see everyone and CONNECT.

When we connect, we visibly become lighter. We smile, we make eye contact, we feel SEEN.

People who feel more connected to others have lower levels of anxiety and depression. Moreover, studies show they also have higher self-esteem, greater empathy for others, are more trusting and cooperative and, as a consequence, others are more open to trusting and cooperating with them. In other words, social connectedness generates a positive feedback loop of social, emotional and physical well-being.

Dr Emma Seppala, The Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education

It doesn’t need to be physical touch, although that helps, but we all need to connect. It may feel difficult if you have anxiety or you are an introvert, but it’s important to put yourself in the position where you will be able to connect. So step outside, take a walk and look someone in the eye.

I’ll be there looking for you too.

I help my clients connect to their body’s needs…and I want that for you too.

My name is Joyce Bergsma and I teach my clients how to understand their bodies and nourish them in the best way possible. I help them on the journey to be symptom free so they are living happier, more fulfilling lives.

But what I ALSO do is act as a cheerleader, a navigator and I hold them accountable.

Book a call TODAY! I’ll help you find freedom in your life.