Rebuilding a social connection can seem overwhelming, especially when it feels like you’re starting from scratch. Which, of course, a lot of us are.
Getting used to “holing up” at home, working from home, and getting everything delivered to your home may have been daunting at first, but unfortunately, many of us have assimilated to that lifestyle over the last two years. And also unfortunate is the fact that it can be just as hard to transition back to the life you had before everything shut down.
If this sounds like you, you’re not alone.
Social connection is important, which is exactly why we’ve compiled:
- 5 stress management techniques
- 4 easy ways to reconnect
- 3 tips for setting healthy boundaries
- 2 reasons a fresh start might be right for you
- 1 surefire way to make honest social connections
Exercise Deep Breathing Techniques
While you may think getting back out there and reforming social connections is just like riding a bike, that’s not always the case.
Rather than leave you to go it alone, we’ve compiled a few lists you might find helpful when it comes to rebuilding social connections and spending more time out of the house.
5 Stress Management Techniques
Often, stress is the real culprit when it comes to avoiding making or renewing social connections. And if left unaddressed, it can create more problems than you started with, unfortunately, which is why we’re going to detail some great stress management techniques before we dive into all the different ways you can reconnect with your loved ones.
Progressive muscle relaxation (PMR) relaxes your mind by relaxing your body – and might quickly become your favorite stress management technique. The theory behind this technique is that you can’t feel anxious or stressed when your body is relaxed, and the practice is quite simple. By using a combination of deep breathing and creating muscle tension by muscle group, you can gradually relax your entire body.
If you struggle to calm your mind and let the tension out of your muscles, incorporating CBD oil into your daily stress-busting routine might be just what you need. One of the significant benefits of CBD oil is its ability to promote a sense of calm and relaxation, which naturally happens when CBD interacts with your endocannabinoid system (ECS).
Yoga can relax your mind and reduce feelings of stress. As one of the oldest stress management techniques in the modern world, incorporating at least 30 minutes of yoga into your morning or nightly routine will increase your flexibility while decreasing common aches and pains. In addition to the physical benefits, yoga can also increase your self-awareness and boost your “happiness hormones.”
Oxytocin, dopamine, serotonin, and various endorphins are collectively known as happiness hormones because they’re responsible for increasing your self-confidence and well-being. By adding regular yoga practices to your daily life, you can lower your overall stress levels to form new social connections.
Finding a creative outlet that works for you, such as writing, painting, or blasting some music, can be a great way to de-stress after a long day. By allowing your mind to wander as you wind down, you allow your body to relax and release the stress from your day. There may even be local creative classes in your area, which can help you rebuild the social connection you need. While utilizing creative outlets can be an easier stress management technique, their value shouldn’t be overlooked.
Regularly practicing mindfulness and meditation throughout the day can center you in the present and enhance your physical, emotional, and mental well-being. One of the simplest ways to incorporate mindfulness into your day is to stop and take a few moments to acknowledge what you’re thinking and feeling at any given time. By taking the time to stop, you may discover that you’ve been holding tension in your shoulders or ignoring a nagging thought in the back of your head.
Don’t have enough time in your day to incorporate regular meditation practices? Try listening to some 5-minute meditations. Whether you need to take a few moments to de-stress and focus your mind before a big work meeting or relax before your first night out with friends, 5 minutes is all you need. If you’re new to the practice, try setting a timer on your phone or listening to one of the many 5-minute meditations available on YouTube.
Social Connection: 4 Easy Ways To Reconnect
Even if you’re ready to get out of the house and connect with people, it can be daunting to know where to start. If that’s the case, we’ve detailed a few scenarios that might take some of the creative pressure off of you.
Introduce your friends to one of your hobbies or try something new together. Some people find that they’re more comfortable around old and new friends when they’re actively doing something, like playing basketball, painting, shopping, or jogging through the local park. By taking some of the focus off of the pressure to renew your social connections, you might find yourself breathing easier and having a lot more fun.
Rent an Airbnb with friends or family for a long weekend – even if it’s just in the next town over. Getting out of your everyday setting and taking just a few days off from work can really make all the difference without destroying your budget or using up too much PTO. Not only can a weekend away help you rebuild or repair your social connections, but diving into vacation mode can also help avoid some all too inevitable burnout at work.
Throw a backyard potluck. Sometimes all it takes to ease that reconnection tension is taking control of your environment. Hosting an indoor or backyard potluck offers you several benefits, including controlling the guest list, choosing the social space you’re most comfortable with, and taking the pressure off you to provide enough food for your guests (unlike a barbeque).
Check out the local events in your area. If planning a fun event for you and your friends causes you unnecessary stress, you should be able to check Facebook and Instagram to find some local, even free, events going on in your neighborhood or city. This way, all you have to do is show up and have a good time, which often takes the burden off of you to plan out all the details.
3 Tips for Setting Healthy Boundaries
When it comes to setting boundaries with friends, it’s important to discuss a problem as soon as it arises and do so openly and explicitly. Many different kinds of boundaries could become crossed between friends, from the physical to emotional and mental, and each comes with its own struggles. Believe it or not, enacting boundaries in your relationships is actually healthy behavior.
There is a difference between being agreeable and becoming a people-pleaser. Friendships are give-and-take relationships, which means that when you step back and look at them, they should balance out over time. If you find that you can’t tell them ‘no’ without making them mad or that you give until you feel drained, it might be time to talk to them. A good friend will respect your wishes and understand that not all your ‘wants’ will match theirs.
Remember that your time matters. Meeting new people and hanging out with old friends is great, but if it feels like your friends aren’t considerate of other plans you might have or the drain on your mental capacity on any given day, you might want to try setting some time boundaries. It can feel awkward at first, but it’s important that your friends, and family, understand that you might only have a few hours to spend that day or prefer to socialize another time.
It’s okay to cancel plans. Whether you made plans a few days or weeks ago, if you need to cancel because something else came or if you’ve just had a bad day, it’s okay. Restarting social connections can be mentally and emotionally exhausting, so don’t push yourself so hard, and don’t feel bad if you need to take some time to yourself. Just try not to become a serial canceler.
2 Reasons a Fresh Start Might Be Right for You
With so much time spent stuck inside, many of us have taken that time to reflect upon our current relationships, social connections, and living spaces. And in some cases, we have found those social connections lacking.
Thanks to the rise in teleworking and telecommuting, many people have begun to find value in living the life they want. For some, that means traveling and living life as a nomad, while others have started to blow up the population counts in small towns all across the US.
Since working, living, and sleeping at home can have some negative effects on your well-being and even your professional development, telework centers have also begun to pop up throughout the US. This work-at-home option enables people to form social connections with others during working hours and allows them to live wherever they want, regardless of “where” they work.
Unfortunately, a lot of stress of the last year and a half also brought some relationships to the breaking point. But now that a large number of jobs can be done remotely, people have been allowed to move away from toxic people and relationships, which offers many people the opportunity to start fresh with new and healthier social connections.
Best Tactic To Building Honest Social Connections
Above all else, be yourself.
If all this time spent at home has shown us anything, it’s that life is too short not to be your true self. Many of us have picked up new hobbies and interests to fill our free time when we couldn’t get outside, and now is the perfect time to make some social connections with others who have the same interests.
How CBD Oil Can Help Rebuild Social Connections
CBD oil can be the perfect compliment to negotiate everyday stressful situations better since, by design, it works with your endocannabinoid system (ECS) to improve your mood and maintain emotional homeostasis. Depending on your needs, you can take CBD oil right before you start your day or at any other time during the day.
Benefits of CBD Oil
By working with your ECS, CBD helps your mind and body relax by promoting a sense of calm to combat your daily stressors, such as rebuilding new social connections and developing new stress management techniques. CBD gummies, CBD oil softgels, and CBD oil capsules are probably the easiest and most convenient ways to add CBD to your everyday life.
Available in regular, sour, and Vitamin C, our CBD gummies include a variety of flavors in every bottle and are in a range of concentrations. With 30 gummies in every slim bottle, we’ve made it easy for you to take CBD with you wherever you go.
Not only can regular CBD oil servings set a calming mood for a stressful first day back at work, but when taken before bed, CBD oil can help improve your sleep by relaxing your mind and body for a good night’s rest. When combined with melatonin, CBD PM helps promote overall sleep so you can be prepared for the day ahead. Plus, it comes in both softgels and tinctures!
Whether you’re looking to make CBD a part of your new social connection endeavors or want to learn more about the various benefits of CBD oil and how it can supplement your stress management techniques, stop by our frequently updated blog with all your CBD questions. Want to stay up to date on the latest news and special offers? Make sure to connect with us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.