Photo by Jed Villejo on Unsplash
Relationships are so important to who we are as people. Especially given that our world is still finding ways to cope with and heal from the collective trauma of 2020. Human connection can definitely be important during this time, and that connection can only happen if we’re being honest about the truth:
We’re all dealing with a lot of shit and we’re still in a pandemic.
While things are seemingly opening back up, it can be tricky to determine how you want to move while making considerations for your health, sanity, and everyone else’s.
Here are some low pressure ways to nurture your relationships so that you can also tend to your own personal mental health and well-being at the same time. Everybody wins.
Start with being honest about your personal capacity to extend energy to others.
According to Merriam-Webster Dictionary, capacity is defined as:
2a : the potential or suitability for holding, storing, or accommodating a large seating capacity
b : the maximum amount or number that can be contained or accommodated
3a : an individual’s mental or physical ability
Relationship building is an exchange between multiple people, and knowing your capacity can help you determine how much you have to give. Again, 2020 was an unbelievably hard year and we’re still feeling it in 2021. There may be some days where you’re ready to mingle, and others where you need your alone time – every mood is okay. Being honest about what you can do and what you can’t, will help you express your own needs and expectations to others.
Consistently let go of perfection and/or showing up a certain way.
The relationships that are for you will allow you to just be yourself and sometimes that means you won’t show up perfectly. When it comes to really being there for other people, presence is more important than perfection.
Try communicating with people by way of their preferences.
Know someone who would rather hear a voice note than take a call? Know someone who would rather pull up than text? Every person has a communication style that’s based off their lifestyle and schedule and it’s nothing personal to the other side. Being mindful of that will make space to meet people where they are.
Schedule purposeful virtual meet up time.
You don’t have to reach too far for some quality time and it doesn’t have to be complicated. Consider doing something lightweight over Zoom or Google Meet or Facetime or whatever your video preference is. Whether you’re joining a membership group for writers like Permission To Write or got a weekly prayer group going or linking up with folks to talk about gut health or having Saturday morning cartoon time in bed, it’s easy (and also safer) to gather 7 or 8 of your people and meet on a regular basis when you’re doing it virtually. If it’s connected around one common goal or focus, the group can expand into different relationships within the group based off your shared interests and values.
Bonus points because it allows you to be social without leaving your home and/or putting on pants (which is your business).
Make space for cancelling and re-scheduling.
We’re ALL dealing with something in some way and so much in our world has rapidly change and is continuing to change. Last year showed us that we never know what another person is going through. Extend yourself and others some grace and be flexible with your timing. It (whatever it is for you) will happen when it’s supposed to.
Make sometime for your own creativity.
Don’t get so caught up in building a business or a strategy or a practice or a consultancy that you forget to nurture your own personal creativity. Doing so means you hold on to your creative freedom – creating what you want when you want how you want it.
This will provide some relief from always thinking about work, relax your mind and your spirit, and give you something else to talk about when you do link up with people. Fall back in love with reading, create something just for yourself, go back to activities you loved to do before the business side of being creative overtook everything.
Remember to breathe, stay hydrated, take care of yourself, and be kind to others.
How to show up for your people this week and beyond
How to Keep burnout from killing your relationships via Thrive Global