Our Relationships Changed

Of all of the changes we've experienced these past, recent years the most impactful may have been our relationships.

Our work relationships, our family relationships, and our community relationships.

We went from face-to-face everyday to virtual work, virtual learning, and virtual communication.

Physical distance became the new norm. As a result, relational distance became the new norm.

This changed our relationships.

As our relationships changed, there was a change in our approach to work, learning, and communication. Historically focused on well-built relationships, these activities now shifted to a focus on outputs, outcomes, and primarily transactional.

We got online to produce, solve, and communicate, but then we would go distant. Productivity may have maintained and perhaps efficiencies may have even improved, but our relations became distance.

With these changes came some mental health issues, some sources claim a 25% increase. But a positive also happened............an awareness for our need for connection. Our innate desire for human connections, relationships, and even our need for touch.

As groups and events began gathering again, I noticed a celebration and even relief.

In-person human connection is happening more and more again and as a result, some reports indicate a decrease in anxiety and depression.

Research indicates that in-person social interaction significantly improves mental health, with studies showing a positive correlation between regular face-to-face contact and reduced symptoms of depression and anxiety, particularly among individuals who might otherwise experience social isolation. Essentially, the more in-person social interaction someone has, the better their mental health tends to be.?

Our relationships are changing once again, only this time we are coming back together again. Back together again in the workplace and in our communities. This change could be uncomfortable for some because of the new relational norm that was created, but the data I've seen indicates our gathering together again is for the better.

Let's make a conscious effort to embrace this change to in-person interactions and relationships once again in order to have better workplaces, better schools, and better communities.

Most importantly......better relationships.