The GenWell Project - the making of the human connection movement.

As I head into the home stretch of the sixth GenWell Weekend this May 3rd, 4th and 5th, I realized that I hadn’t written about the movement for nearly a year due to the ups and downs of building a global movement. The GenWell Project has evolved a ton since we first launched, due to the ever-changing world that we live in, but we continue to build the momentum behind the movement with the incredible support of many people who have contributed their time and energy the movement is stronger than ever.

Realizing some of you may still be a little unfamiliar with The GenWell Project, let’s do a quick recap and then an update. The GenWell Project is a human connection movement with the mission of making the world a happier and healthier place by reminding people about the importance of human connection in their lives and inspiring them to take action at least a couple times a year. We share daily information, research, tips and motivation to get people to start building healthy connection habits today, because that makes us happier and healthier.  

On GenWell Weekends we hope to inspire you to reach out to that list of people that you have been meaning to connect with, but just haven’t made the time.

Often times, many of us are too busy working, too distracted by all forms of technology or just too preoccupied to internalize the importance of the message until there is a dramatic shift in our circumstances. For those people and for anyone who needs a reminder (or a boost, an excuse or a deadline) we activate around two weekends a year when we want to be the catalyst for people to reach out and get connected face to face. On GenWell Weekends we hope to inspire you to reach out to that list of people that you have been meaning to connect with, but just haven’t made the time.

When we speak about who people may want to consider reaching out to, we speak of friends, family, neighbours and colleagues. Calling out these groups is intentional, although some may not need the help. We call out these groups because we are either emotionally or geographically connected with each of them. Friends and family are named because we have a history with them which gives us the perfect excuse or reason to reach out. Neighbours and colleagues are suggested because, by definition, you likely spend time side by side during some or most days and therefore they become part of your “community”. With that said, we all know that at various times in our lives or due to circumstances, some of those connections may be more challenging than one might think. Today many people leave home for school or work, leaving behind family and friends in order to create a better life for themselves. Others may be unemployed, be self employed or work remotely and for them the idea of connecting with colleagues may be a challenge. Finally, other than your run of the mill nomad living off the earth and secluding themselves from the world, we all have someone who lives beside us or in our community. Given, not everyone has great relations with their neighbour, but maybe that would change if you had a reason to connect more often, especially before the fence falls over, the dog poops on your lawn, or the kid next door breaks your window playing on the street with his pals.

There is no cost to participate in the movement as the starting belief was that this message was too important for anyone to shy away from the offering because they sensed a need to make a donation in order to participate. We like to think of ourselves as friend-raisers, not fundraisers.  Even better, getting connected with others doesn’t need to cost money and can happen with one individual or an entire community…and it needs to. Our bigger goal is to get corporate partnerships with brands and businesses that see the value of connecting with this important message and creating the sustainability needed for such an organization.

Whether you are an introvert or maybe just someone who has had some challenges in their life as of late, The GenWell Project wants you to be the catalyst for you to reach out to that one person or maybe two, that will give you the opportunity to get connected and in some cases get you back on the right path through the sharing of your feelings, challenges and solutions. Those that you connect with may provide perspective, comfort and solutions that may help you generate greater resilience for today and in future. For those who are more comfortable in reaching out to larger groups, whether it be a small BBQ with friends or family or maybe even a street or community gathering, we know you already like to connect, but even highly outgoing people have bad days and busy lives and on occasion, could use an excuse to get the group together. This campaign really is for everyone, even though not everyone may see the need for it today.

When we think about the demographics that we serve as a movement, we also like to think that we have something for everyone.[JD1] [JD2] 

We[JD3]  have been hearing for years that we have an isolation and loneliness crisis within our aging population, regardless of whether they find themselves in a retirement home or in a home without family and friends around them. The impact of isolation and loneliness on this segment of the population is devastating, with the most concerning stat being an increased risk of early onset of death by 50%. That is in addition to the increased risk of dementia, increased diagnosis of depression and generally bad health choices.  Without a raised consciousness in the general population about the importance of human connection on this population, our aging family members may continue to struggle because we don’t have the time to see them or don’t have the inclination to reach out to an aging friend or neighbour.

For young people, the pressures of their world today can be truly debilitating. From the distraction of digital technology, to the pressure of perfection generated by social media and media, to the expectations that have been set by the generations before them and the lifestyles and experiences that they have become accustomed to. All of these tend to lead to greater isolation and loneliness for many in the younger population and to greater diagnosis of stress, anxiety and depression. If The GenWell Project could inspire this segment of the population to connect face to face more often we believe that we could help them build coping strategies (like connecting), put some REAL context around the images of perfection that they may be chasing and help build some greater resilience for the years that lay ahead for them. [JD4] 

Broadly speaking, the group in the middle is the group who likely could benefit the most from. This group is often referred to as the Sandwich Generation. They have elderly parents and young people to care for. They have grown up in the greatest growth era in the history of the world creating habits and expectations that can be hard to sustain during times of change or struggle. They have watched their friends and peers live lives that once could not have be imagined and long to achieve such great success….at least on the outside.

This group has an incredible opportunity to leverage The GenWell Project as their excuse, their reminder and their catalyst to reach out and model great behaviors for the young, to show compassion for the elderly and to connect with their neighbours and colleagues that may be in need. The greatest impact of these efforts may be the one on themselves. Not for the efforts and impact they made on a child or a senior, not for the impact that they had on a struggling colleague or lonely neighbour, but for the impact they had on themselves. The feeling of having made the world a happier and healthier place and by realizing the true importance of giving back and having purpose in one’s life as a measure of a life well lived. For a while now many believed that their wealth, status or quantity of toys were the measure of the man, but we believe this is changing. As Winston Churchill once commented, “We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give.”

The GenWell Project really is a campaign for everyone. We know that not everyone one will see the potential for the impact on themselves immediately, but over time, whether because of the ups and downs we go through in life or the realization of the impact that we can have through the simple act of reaching out, we hope to see people across Canada and around the world joining the movement and helping make the world a happier and healthier place.

So, there you have it. The GenWell Project. A movement that is focusing on an issue that many never realized was an issue. A movement that is shifting the paradigm on what it means to help. The catalyst that we hope will bring individuals, a street, a city, a country or maybe even the world closer together one face to face conversation at a time.

Thank you for your support.

Stay connected.

Pete

l

e

 [JD3]

 [JD4]Trimming a little – good point but maybe a little too much info for now