There is an epidemic of loneliness in our society today. We are hungry for a feeling of connection to the point of becoming depressed and anxious. Building a sense of community is a buffer to these feelings; however, we have not been making the time or effort to nourish ourselves with it.
There have been huge reductions in the last 20 years of typical places where we used to join (i.e., Red Cross, legions, religious groups, etc).
Robert Putnam’s "Bowling Alone" is an important book that addresses this issue.
The books, "We Need Each Other: Building Gift Community" by Bill Kath & Zoe Alowan, and "Deepening Community" by Paul Born, are all excellent resources for understanding community and reflecting on how to build community. After all, social media connections just don’t seem to work.
I am developing a system of building community called “Uncommon Connection”, which is in the works currently and addresses a system for deeply showing up for others who then show up for you.
When this is a regular activity – minimally monthly but preferably weekly, it sets in motion a sense of being supported by the community around you.
The challenge is to test what might work for you and commit to figuring out strategies to build your own community.
Dr Anna B - encouraging you to find ways to grow and recover after trauma
