Socializing is a daily input

Just like brushing your teeth.

During the pandemic, like many others, I worked from home.

Now that the pandemic has subsided, I still don’t go into the office much. WFH allows a lot of flexibility, but it has costs too.

I’ve learned that to stay centered, I need to have social interactions with people every single day.

Those people need to be outside of my family.

And those interactions need to be in person, not through a screen.

To accomplish this, I give myself assignments. Like: leave the house, go to the grocery store, and don’t go through the self-checkout line—have a conversation with the cashier. OR go to the bank and chat for a few minutes with the teller, instead of going to the ATM.

These interactions are required. For me, it’s like brushing my teeth—it’s a thing I simply do every day now.

Here is what happens when I am in a groove with these assignments:

I gain massive perspective. Tunnel vision and a feeling of having no choices turns into a sense of vast potential. I can be anything and do anything.

I have far more patience with myself and other people.

I sleep better.

But these interactions are only the beginning of what I need.