Connection is Key

My belief is that connection is the core of solving all of life's problems. There are many kinds of connection, here are a few:

• Connection to yourself

• Connection to others

• Connection to nature 

  
  

Connection is my favorite part of my job and I would guess if you work in healthcare or senior care, it is your favorite part as well. If you make connection the goal of each day, I truly believe you will always feel fulfilled. However, connection doesn't always come naturally.

It can be difficult for seniors to connect as they age for a variety of reasons. Some of these reasons include shrinking social circles due to friends passing away or living to far away to safely travel, mobility/health limitations, disconnection from typical roles/purpose in life, technology challenges, and/or environmental barriers (which I strive to reduce). However, it is more important than ever that seniors have this vital engagement in life.

How do I better connect with myself?

1. Slow down enough to notice yourself (sources of tension, posture, physical comfort, respiratory/heart rate). Try not to mulit-task.

2. Scan your body and notice which areas need a stretch, movement, rest, or repositioning

3. Check your internal needs (hungry, burnt-out, underappreciated, unfairly judged). It helps to name exactly what you are feeling. 

4.  Practice supportive self-talk, don't be your harshest critic

5.  Stay true to your personal values and what matters most to you

How do I better connect with others?

1. Fully listen to others, don't just be thinking about what you are going to say and how you are going to sound professional

2.  Instead of staying at surface level conversation, ask an open-ended question with the purpose of eliciting a deeper response, such as "how did you feel after that experience"?

3.  Share one authentic truth about your day during conversation, don't sugar-coat everything.

4.  Reflect to others something unique that you truly appreciate about them

5.  Share small moments of warmth such as a good laugh over a shared experience, remembering a small detail about someone's personal life, or even simply eye contact and a warm hello.

How do I better connect with nature?

1. Use all your senses to internalize what you are feeling, seeing, smelling, tasting, hearing.

2.  Repeat a daily nature ritual as simple as touching a leaf each day

3.  Let your body absorb natural light each day for at least 5 minutes

4.  Care for something in nature, fill a birdfeeder, pull a weed, move a spider outside, nurture a plant

5.  Observe anything in nature for 1 minute continuously (why does this one seem hard to me?)