<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Let\u2019s reclaim our human connection, which will reignite our creativity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
By Kathryn Haydon, MSc<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The trend of hiding behind a phone while out in public could be contributing to the erosion of our common bonds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
To \u201cunmask\u201d your humanity, consider smiling at those you pass, even if your mouth is covered by a mask.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Talking to strangers in line at the store, or offering a compliment or random act of kindness, can brighten your day, lift up others, and fuel creativity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On the day I\u2019m writing this post, it\u2019s nearly 65 degrees in March. Some call it \u201cfool\u2019s spring,\u201d a perfectly appropriate term for a region that in some years features April snowstorms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Whether the weather is tricking us or not, we\u2019ll take it. People are out. A guy at the coffee shop is wearing shorts. I asked him about it and he beamed back at me. \u201cAbsolutely. I couldn\u2019t not wear them,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
These spontaneous interactions with others while we\u2019re out and about are important. They fuel our creativity. They reinvigorate our humanity. They strengthen our communities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For years, many of us have hidden behind our phones when we\u2019re out on the town. Instead of smiling and chatting with strangers, our heads have been buried in the virtual world as real human connection passes us by.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This is a negative trend, a phenomenon that many believe is eroding our common bonds and communities. It\u2019s an example of the inertia of no muffling the normal human interactions that keep our thoughts sparked and possibility-oriented.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Where we are today is far worse. There\u2019s an extra layer of anonymity behind a mask\u2014covered smiles, mumbled speech, a temptation to hide inside our own personal bubbles. Yet, each of us can immediately and easily make it better.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As life opens up again, let\u2019s commit to bringing our humanity back even stronger than before. Let\u2019s reclaim our human connection, which will reignite our creativity and that of those around us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Here are four things you can do to not only unmask your humanity, but also to prime creativity<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Need more ideas? Use this possibility question to brainstorm: What might be all the ways I can brighten someone\u2019s day today?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Use one of your own ideas, choose from the four above, or activate them all. I guarantee that your own day will be brighter, your creativity will become more fluid, and your actions will bring more humanity to your community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Originally published at Psychology Today<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Let\u2019s reclaim our human connection, which will reignite our creativity. By Kathryn Haydon, MSc The trend of hiding behind a phone while out in public could be contributing to the erosion of our common bonds….<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4355,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[10],"tags":[511],"class_list":["post-4354","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-health","tag-creativity"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"yoast_head":"\n