Our team here at the UVM Thrive Guide believes in three pillars of connection: connection to nature, others, and self. We believe in these pillars because of Hari (2018)’s research and book on anxiety and depression. Hari (2018) believes that “every one of the social and psychological causes of depression and anxiety have something in common. They are all forms of disconnection. They are all ways in which we have been cut off from something we innately need but seem to have lost along the way.” That’s why our team is here. To help you all reconnect to these essential pillars of life.
Connection to Nature
As humans, we are born to thrive. We are born to move, to connect, to feel. “The scientific evidence is clear that exercise significantly reduces depression and anxiety. Hari (2018) talks to evolutionary biologist Isabel Behncke who thinks that exercise returns us to a more natural state. One where we are embodied, animal, moving, and our endorphins are rushing. She believes that humans that are not moving or connecting with nature can never be fully healthy. Which is why it is so important to get out there, get moving, and connect with nature in any way possible during the COVID-19 crisis. By doing this, we may all stay as healthy as possible during this worldwide health crisis.
Connection to Others
As humans, we are not meant to be alone. We used to live in tribes and rely on each other, so what changed? Society. But, there is still hope! Hari (2018) talks about a concrete housing project in Berlin in 2011 whose community came together in order to stop rent increases. What started out as a separate group of people became an evolutionary change in society. “They had stopped being solely private. They had stopped sitting alone. They had made themselves public. And it was only by doing that…by being released into something bigger than themselves…that they had found a release from their pain.” One social scientist named Brett Ford said that “the more you think happiness is a social thing, the better off you are.” We at the UVM Thrive Guide understand that it is not possible to connect with others in the traditional way currently. But we encourage you to strive to thrive by finding creative ways to connect virtually to others during these strange times! After all, “the evidence suggests that if we return to seeing our distress and our joy as something we share with a network of people around us, we will feel different. The first step in overcoming depression is coming together.”
Connection to Self
As humans, we have extrinsic and intrinsic values. Things that we want and things that we need. With depression and anxiety, we need to stop asking “Whats the matter with you?” To “What matters to you?” To find a solution, people need to be listened to about what is missing in their life. We need to focus on the intrinsic values. We need to spend less time “puffing up our egos, seeking material possessions, and seeking a superior status.” We need to learn to spend more time on pursuits that feed our intrinsic values. Things like meditation to be more calm. These values are the key to reconnection to self, which is so important during a time when we are spending a lot more time with ourselves.
In conclusion Catamounts, “you have to turn now to all the other wounded people around you (virtually), and find a way to connect with them, and build a home with these people… a place where you are bonded to one another and find meaning in your lives together. We have been tribe-less and disconnected for so long now. It’s time for us all to come home. So, keep striving to thrive, connect to nature, others, and self, and we will see you next time on the UVM Thrive Guide.
Reference
Hari, J. (2018). Lost Connections: Why you’re depressed and how to find hope. Bloomsbury.
By Sara Domas