Written by Kaitlin Armon, LPC
As a mom of a 3-year-old, and living through raising a child during COVID, I have learned that community and the support from that community is essential to thrive in life.
For many of us, COVID created isolation. Our normal ways of connecting with others changed or were restricted. We were unable to see family and friends in person as much. Our normal activities and hobbies were cancelled or altered. Life was turned upside down; many of us were left to cope without our normal support system.
But even if we look at life outside of the COVID years, many of us go through life without a strong sense of community. We may not have a connection with other people where we feel understood, important, or valued. Maybe there has been deep hurt from others in the past which has caused us to pull away from connecting with others in the present. We may have some level of social anxiety which makes it hard to connect with other people. Whatever the reason, many of us lack community and support.
The problem is that humans were made for community and connection. We are social beings, even for those of us who lean toward the introverted side. Human connection helps us thrive in life. We need to feel like we have others who can understand us, support us and be there when we need someone to talk to or need someone to share experiences with.
And when we don’t have community, it can affect us in a negative way; without community many of us may experience the following:
Depressed
Anxious/overwhelmed
Lonely
Less able to navigate various stressors or difficult dynamics in life
Less able to enjoy life
Increase in unhealthy coping skills/behaviors
Increase in interpersonal conflict
Do you relate to any of these?
If so, know that you are not alone. Finding and maintaining community can be hard. We can’t just snap our fingers and POOF; we have a strong group of friends. It is something that takes time, intentionality, and the courage to begin to build community in our lives. For all the effort it may take to start to build community, there are so many benefits to have a strong support system in our lives, such as:
Increased Connection
A place to share thoughts and feelings
A place for others to share in your pain, joys, challenges and vice versa
The ability to feel seen and heard and understood
A place to have shared values and hobbies
Increased fun and enjoyment of life
Accountability
Encouragement
Life is hard, regardless of being in “COVID times” or not. Having community and connection is more important than ever in the age of technology and screens that we live in. Isolation is at an all-time high. But there is hope. We can help, by restoring and leaning into faith, growing in courage while in connection to others, whatever difficulty you are facing.
Call today for a caring counselor to help you through your journey, you don't have to be alone, we care and are here. (815) 707-4806; email: Kaitlin@centerforcourage.com or Jenny@centerforcourage.com to schedule an intake appointment.
You are not alone, we care and are here…