“I wish I had stayed in touch with my friends.”
This is one of the ‘top 5 regrets of the dying’ according to a book I recently read. It really got me thinking – “Could that be me one day?”
Why connection matters for mental health
Research shows that strong social connections are one of the biggest factors in maintaining good mental health and wellbeing.
Yet seeing friends can go out of the window when we are busy with work and young children or other care responsibilities. Sometimes it can take a little effort to keep in touch, but when you do see friends, family or colleagues it pays dividends for your mental health.
A reunion that reminded me
I recently met up with a friend from my university days. We lost touch for many years as she moved to another country and we were both busy with work and raising families. But when we do connect it’s such a joyful feeling. Having a natter and sharing our experiences lifts us up. It’s a simple recipe which I highly recommend you make time for.
As my good friend Tracey said after we met:
“The world at large may be pretty depressing but interaction with friends, nice colleagues and people in general gives hope.”
The power of intention
A client of mine decided to meet a few friends as she realised that work and caring for her elderly mum meant she was missing out on connection. Organising a virtual coffee meant no travel time even though in-person would have been ideal. Setting this intention in our session made her focus on it and she was really pleased that they managed to squeeze in a catch up. They then started to meet regularly in person.
That’s often all it takes – deciding it matters, and making a small move towards action.
Your challenge
Have you been meaning to get in touch with someone? A text, a call, a coffee, or even a short online catch up could boost your mental health. I would love this to inspire you to reach out so you don’t look back one day with regret.
Or are you already good at doing this?
Getting support
Sometimes you know you want to make positive changes but you get stuck. Whether that’s making time to reconnect with people, coping with a loss, dealing with change – or something else. Coaching can give you the space to explore what’s important to you and helps nudge you to take action for your wellbeing. Reach out for a free chat to see if I can help you live well. It’s an opportunity to explore if coaching is right for you.
You can read these client reviews to see the impacts that working with me can have.
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