Why Connection Matters

Our connections with people, places, and communities play a big role in how we grow and move through life.

Supportive relationships and real connection can improve our well-being, helping us celebrate the good times, and get through the hard ones. 

Experiences of abuse can make it feel complicated or unsafe to connect, causing isolation, loneliness, and discomfort with physical or emotional closeness. If any of this sounds familiar, know that you’re not alone, and that you don’t have to stay feeling disconnected. 

Small Steps, Real Shifts

Give yourself permission to start small. Tiny steps add up, and can start reminding you that you don’t have to move through life alone.

Real connection can grow through simple, everyday experiences like:

  • Trying a New Hobby or Exploring an Interest

    • Trying something new is a great way to build connections with the world around you, and with other people. When you find what genuinely interests you and connect with others who feel the same, the world can start to feel bigger and brighter.

  • Caring for a Pet

    • Pets can be great companions and supporters, helping us establish routine, practice care, and learn the benefits of being connected. And if having your own pet isn’t doable, helping out with a friend’s or family member’s pet can be a nice way to get some of the same benefits.

  • Listening to Music, Playing an Instrument, or Seeing a Show

    • No matter how you experience it, music can lift our mood and connect us with others who share our interests.

  • Spending Time in Nature

    • Being outdoors—feeling the sun, sitting on a bench, noticing the plants and trees, moving in whatever way feels comfortable—can help you feel connected to the world around you. Nature has a way of making us feel part of something bigger.

  • Saying Hello

    • It can feel intimidating at first, but simply saying “hello” to a neighbor, barista, or someone at work can help build a sense of belonging and open the door to real connection. As with everything, take it at your own pace. You get to decide when and how you want to engage.

  • Connecting with Reading and Learning

    • Look at joining a local or online library, explore fiction or non-fiction books that capture your attention, try out reading clubs, audiobooks, podcasts, and tutorials. Check out courses and clubs that interest you. Build your knowledge and skills, learn about photography, gardening, bike maintenance, cooking, woodwork, welding, painting.

Building Connections That Feel Right

As you widen or deepen your relationships with the world and people around you, remember that trust can take time, and that’s okay.

In thinking about who to connect with and how, it can be helpful to consider: 

  • Someone who shares an interest (a hobby, music or movie tastes, exercising)
  • Someone you can meet for coffee or a meal
  • Someone you can talk to if when you need some support
  • A neighbor or other person in your community you see regularly
  • Someone you’re curious about and might want to know better

And always honor your boundaries. Not everyone needs access to your whole life story.

Lean into relationships that feel supportive and energizing, and give yourself space from those that feel draining or one-sided.

if you’d like to explore this further, you can check out our Navigating Relationship Challenges article and podcast.