5 Tips to have Mindful Personal Connections in the Tech Age

I say this a lot lately, “Technology is great, but the lack of personal connections sadden me”

Which is why to me, part of being mindful is also being mindful of non technology things I can do to stay connected with friends and family.

1. I love to write letters, notes, cards. I love the act of handwriting (or trying to improve mine), putting on a stamp, sealing it with a monogram sticker and addressing it to someone I care about.
2. I love hearing how those letters are received. This last time, I did a little a/b testing on my mail outs. This time I added an address label to see how many people use the label and send it back to me. Next time I am going to do another a/b test and add a stamp too. I am interested to see the results (I will share with you when I know more)
3. I love phone calls. Remember when we used to pick up the phone and actually call people. I know. Your mind just blew up huh? When I am on the phone I stop what I am doing and completely focus on the person I am talking to. This is a great act of respect to the other person as well as a great act of mindfulness. Being mindful of the other person. Listening mindfully. Responding mindfully. Being attentive mindfully.
4. Drop In. What happened to those days of just “dropping in” on someone and seeing how they are. I generally take a little something, if I can. Or I pick something up. There are certain people who want a call first, but I don’t mind, that gives me a chance to ask “Is there anything you need? Can I bring you anything? Or what kind of coffee do you like or soda? Ill get you one on my way.” My sisters always like this because I tend to bring them their favorite soda. Plus I bring one for me, thus not to impose on the host or hostess.
5. One to Ones. This can be for business, dating, or even friendship. Taking the time to have a one to one, a heart to heart and just sip wine or coffee and chat, get to know each other better. It is imperative to my peace of mind to always do this. It really lets me get to know another person on a different level.

In addition to all those good things, doing these things is also good for your brain, body and mood.

I was reading in Women’s Health Magazine for October 2015 about “Your Body on a Phone Call” and that sparked my idea to write this post. See what they had to say …

“The anticipation of carved out time to chat with a friend charges up our brain centers.”

“Having a real-time convo nets you a bigger health boon than playing text tag. Hearing actual happiness or joy in others voices releases a surge of bonding hormone Oxycontin and floods your noggin with dopamine.” “The Happy Brain Drug”

“Laughing together squashes stress, lowers cortisol and dials down your blood pressure.”

“People who hear supportive feedback from a pal experienced lower cardio activity. Friends buffer the effect stress has on your heart”

“The cortisol purge cleans up your memory center, enhancing your energy, mental efficiency and productivity”

“Having strong friendships lowers overall mortality risk.”

So do yourself, your brain, your heart and your mood a favor….connect with someone in REAL TIME today!

Until Next Time,

Trisha Trixie

Namaste

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