EPISODE 134 SHOW NOTES

I had a fascinating conversation with someone at an event recently (one of my favorite things is to strike up conversations with complete strangers), and we were discussing what we had witnessed over the last two and a half years with the pandemic. This person was a therapist, and she was sharing about how Covid-19 impacted all of us in ways I really hadn’t thought about. As our conversation unfolded, we talked about all of our favorite places initially shutting down, the stress we were under, and ultimately, how our healthy coping mechanisms have changed.

Even though most of the lockdowns and restrictions are gone, you may not be getting out and utilizing services and activities like you used to. It’s almost like we’ve lost trust in these services and places, since they used to be there, and then they were gone the next day (without warning). I’m excited to dive more into how you can get back to connecting (or reconnecting) with your community, and everything that is going on there.

In today’s episode, I’m talking about:

• How you can start getting out of your house and begin learning about new businesses in your community (or those that have changed since the pandemic). Plenty of businesses were just starting out and popping up during the pandemic, while others were shutting down. If you haven’t looked into the businesses (new or otherwise) or events in your area recently, there’s no time like the present to do so! Even if you’re an introvert and you feel like you need plenty of time to yourself to recharge, this shouldn’t keep you from getting out of your house, and getting involved within your community.
• Why you need to get out and reconnect with your friends and your community now, more than ever. If you’re only staying in and staying cooped up like a ball of stress or anxiety, you’ll only feel worse. Staying isolated and wallowing in your fears isn’t beneficial for anyone, and it definitely won’t help you generate a solution to what you have going on. You don’t have to be a social butterfly and interact with everyone, but choosing to get out and about in a more positive space will go a long way.
• The importance of taking the time to learn about the people, businesses, and events going on in your community. You just never know when you’ll find your new favorite shop, or the owners at your favorite restaurant. Maybe it’s an event you loved, and you decided to learn more about the event itself, the event planners, etc. You wouldn’t be learning and getting excited about these things if you weren’t getting out and interacting in your community; these kinds of interactions can really light you up!

Connecting with your community, and not being afraid to try new things.

You’re not meant to stay in the exact same place your whole life-things are going to look different now, compared to when you were 15 or 30 years old. You’re meant to evolve, and grow, and contribute to society (this doesn’t have to be scary either-it can actually be exciting).

You really can find so much joy when you get out into your community, and try new things (or things you used to enjoy doing, but haven’t in awhile). I want to give you permission, or really a call to action, to get back out and start connecting (or reconnecting) again. hope you choose to get out of your comfort zone a bit, and get more connected with your community, the wonderful people there, and the fun things going on. I know you won’t regret it!

Resources and links mentioned in this episode:

• If you’re ready for a life coach, connect with me here: https://theheartofconfidence.com/
• I would love to continue this conversation-connect with me over on Instagram!
• This episode is sponsored by Audible-get a free 30 day trial when you go to https://www.audibletrial.com/functioninghotmess