[2021-01-31] Building campfires
Every day, as I sit down to write in this blog, I reflect on how I'm feeling, physically and mentally.
Writing my daily posts has proven to be a healthy exercise in exploring and expressing my thoughts and emotions.
The same is true of my daily phone calls with my Mom, chats with my sister, walks with my husband, dishes with my kids, and exchanges via email and social media with friends.
At a time when many of us are isolated from others and spending many days staring at the same four walls, there is value in having an outlet for our feelings. That could be writing in a journal, which is—in a sense—what my blog posts are, only made public.
Or it could be finding old and new ways of connecting with others. In Working Hard Does Not Mean Working Well: Let's Focus on Our Wellbeing, Harvard professor Francesca Gino writes:
Sharing our emotions and experiences can help us not only reduce stress but also connect with others more meaningfully. Studies have shown that simply talking about our problems and sharing our negative emotions with someone we trust can be profoundly healing—reducing physical and emotional distress, and strengthening our immune system.
I can attest to the healing that comes from sharing what I'm going through and receiving positive responses in return.
Gino compares connecting with others, even if only online, to building a campfire, and recommends that we make time to talk to people whose company we enjoy. In doing so, we may find comfort in knowing that others are experiencing similar challenges.
Through feedback on my posts and discussions with family and friends, I know that many people are struggling with added stress brought on by COVID and restrictions that have been put in place to respond to the pandemic.
I like Gino's analogy of a campfire, which conjures up images of summer nights, twinkling lights and easy conversation.
Until we can once again gather with extended family and friends around a real campfire, we would do well to create virtual campfires around which to honestly answer the question "How are you doing?"
