Different cultures have different beliefs about how important social connection and interdependence are to our lives.

You like to think of yourself as relatively immune to sway of those around you while you pursue your personal destiny. 

This is a story you like to tell yourself rather than what really happens. 

You are born wired for connection, you are born ready to love – it is in your DNA, a need as strong as food, water and warmth. In your brain is an ‘attachment system’, which gives you a magnetic attraction to others …

… first mum, then dad, siblings, grandparents, aunts and uncles, friends, teachers, colleagues, mentors and later romantic partners and your own family, when the whole cycle starts over again.

Connection lower anxiety and depression, help you regulate your emotions, lead to higher self-esteem and empathy, and actually improve your immune systems.

By neglecting your need to connect, you put your health at risk.

Connection has the power to heal the traumas of everyday disingenuous, loneliness, and isolation. It is the experience of oneness by having shared experiences, relatable feelings, and other similar ideas.

Our inherent need for connection does not mean that every introvert must become a social butterfly. Having connection can look different for each person.

The reality is you live a busy life, trying to strike a balance between work, school, hobbies, self-care  and more. Your social connections fall short or do not even exist. But connecting is more important than you might think.

The reality is you live in a time of true disconnection. While technology seems to connect you more than ever, the screens around you disconnect you from nature, from yourself, and from others.

Wi-Fi alone is not enough to fulfill our social needs – you need face-to-face interaction to thrive. Technology should be enhancing your connection to others, not replacing it.

Social media provides you with an opportunity to make your life look a bit more glamorous and polished, which removes the authenticity that is so essential to forming a human connection.

However, those who mistake connection for attention on social media will have a harder time warding off depression, envy, and other negative feelings that might appear as a result of hyperconnectivity.

By being seen and loved for who you are, how you think, and what you feel, you learn it is okay to be as you are.