We are all busy. Sometimes, we are so busy that we don’t know WHY we’re busy. We just know that we have to be busy. The unfortunate downside of this constant busyness is that we lose touch with our families and friends. We don’t make time for them and even they may only live 10 minutes away from us, months can go by without us seeing them.
The Covid-19 pandemic, which necessitated us having to stay away from people and only interact with them over the Internet, put things into perspective for us. Even though our friends and loved ones were just minutes away, we weren’t allowed to see them. Although we could see them over Zoom and Skype chats, it wasn’t the same.
Touch Is Fundamental
According to the Urban Child Institute, a baby first interacts with the world around them via touch. (In actual fact, their sense of touch develops at the 16th week of pregnancy. ) The sense of touch is fundamental to the development of several different abilities, such as:
- Physical abilities
- Language skills
- Cognitive skills
- Social-emotional competency
Thus, the sense of touch is a fundamental part of our everyday being. It allows us to experience life to the fullest and makes us more complete human beings.
As we’ve been denied the ability to connect with people physically and to touch others, a part of us is not quite the same as it was. Our sense of self and reality is not quite there. Yes, on the surface we appear as we always have, but there’s something different. It isn’t easy to pinpoint and you need to spend some time on introspection to figure it out, but once you do, you’ll be in a much better position as you can figure out how to sort this out.
Re-establish Those Connections
In this hyper-connected world, where we’re being expected to work all hours of the day without a moment’s break to remain competitive, it’s very easy to shut yourself from others. Although you may not intend to do this, it’s an unfortunate side effect of the world that we live in today.
However, what Covid-19 has taught us is the importance of real connection. And not just a comment on your Facebook or LinkedIn post, but a meaningful interaction where both parties walk away feeling fulfilled.
It doesn’t have to be a long thing. Although lazy lunches over a weekend that last for hours on end are fabulous, let’s face it. Who has the time? What we’re saying is rather take those brief moments and use them to catch up with people.
Have half an hour to spare? Why not suggest to a friend, who lives in the neighbourhood that you get together for a cup of coffee? Know that another friend goes to the same gym as you? Why not suggest that you go together regularly so that you can keep in touch.
We all have to work to earn a living, but this doesn’t mean that we have to shut ourselves off from the world while we’re doing this. Keeping in touch with others, and connecting with them makes a huge difference.