How healthy are you?

Happy Tuesday! If randomly clicked your way over here, I send an email once a week exploring how we leverage our most important asset - relationships - to build strong networks of clients, co-creators, and community.

How healthy are you?

Think about that for a second, I’ll wait.

The image that popped up in your mind to answer that query was likely of your last meal, your yoga mat, or looked in a mirror. Those are activities and indicators of your physical health.

For some of you, it might be your mental health - your mood the last couple mornings, your last conversation with a therapist or meditation sit.

I have a habit of hosting dinners - more on that below. At a recent one in a local dive bar (I make it a point of selecting private rooms at restaurants that don’t break the bank and have a particular “charm”) we followed my usual prompt of sharing what was exciting us these days.

As we were all picking on particularly unremarkable pasta and salads, it was Brandon’s turn. While others shared a new venture they were pursuing or an upcoming trip, Brandon went a different direction.

We all felt the malaise and loneliness of social isolation, and some tried various actions to solve it. Ugh, remember “Zoom happy hours?” Brandon shared how he took a look at this, and decided to evaluate his social health and come up with a plan. He developed a routine of actions and got busy. He was quickly reconnecting with old friends and colleagues and deepening existing relationships.

He noted how much joy he got from this, and how he’s continued it to this day.

We saw how painful lack of connection can be, and for many, it continues to this day. It doesn’t matter if you can venture out into the world, or are surrounded by friends, colleagues, and family. You can still feel alone.

And when loneliness is as detrimental to our health as smoking 15 cigarettes a day, it’s time “How healthy are you?” went beyond physical health, beyond mental health, and included social health too.

Now try this

So if you believe your social health is important, then it’s time to plan actions. Improving your physical health can include regular exercise, paying attention to when, what, and how much you eat, and taking various vitamins and supplements.

Your social health deserves a set of routines as well. Consider:

• Setting a reminder daily to text a friend or colleague.

• Creating space in your calendar for one or two deeper catch-ups a week.

• Remembering the relationships you care about (if only there was a tool for that…)

• Hosting a dinner or cocktail party every few weeks or months.

• Asking yourself, every day, “did I connect with someone?”

• Joining a community or two of like-minded individuals.

• Sending a quarterly personal update to your network.

By the way, the list above is mine.

Obviously choose your own adventure, but don’t assume that your social health is automatic.

Watch This

As I continue my adventure into video, I posted a video on how to overcome the fear of reaching out to your network.

Further Reading

Metalabel published a zine “After The Creator Economy” (you can download the PDF for free), that highlights the big issue that most online content creators face of working alone, and explores the opportunity for better collaboration.