Knowing how to connect with people is important for mental health and well-being.
Connecting with others allows you to forgeinterpersonal relationshipsand helps prevent feelings of isolation and loneliness.
Find out which option is the best for you.
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What It Means to Connect With People
Connecting with other people can have a variety of meanings.
It can also refer more generally to social connections, which are defined as positive social relationships.
So how can you tell if you have a connection with others?
Emotional connections are those that are positive, supportive, and healthy.
Recap
Connecting with others involves creating an emotional and social bond.
Such bonds can help people feel like they belong and promote both physical and mental wellness.
Being able to forge a connection with another person allows you to establish interpersonal relationships and buildsocial support.
Social relationships help fend off the damaging effects of isolation andloneliness.
When we connect with others, we form bonds that can be very important for overall wellness.
Sometimes such feelings can be fleeting and related to changes in mood.
In other cases, feeling detached and unable to connect might be a sign of a more lasting problem.
There are also other factors that can contribute to problems with communication.
For example,poor self-esteemor a lack of confidence can sometimes impact social abilities in negative ways.
In such cases, talking to amental health professionalmay be beneficial.
Past Trauma
Trauma can also play a role in making it hard to connect with people.
People often connect with others through shared interests, activities, or goals.
There are many factors that can affect how connected you feel to others.
What works best for you may depend on what’s causing your troubles.
Focus on being as open as possible and engaging in conversation with people you encounter throughout your day.
Even something as simple as saying “hello” to others may help you feel more socially engaged.
Work on Your Communication Skills
Some people tend to come by these skills naturally.
As your communication skills improve, you may find it easier to make genuine connections with others.
So make it a goal to spend more time with the people who already make up your social world.
This can be a helpful way to reconnect and spend time building your relationships.
This pop in of listening can have a positive effect on relationships.
It may also help you feel more connected to the person you are listening to.
The first step is to talk to your healthcare provider or a therapist about what you are experiencing.
They can then determine whether you might have a condition that interferes with your ability to interact with others.
Talking to a mental health professional can also be beneficial.
Published 2016 Jun 16. doi:10.1016/j.invent.2016.06.005
