Community

I laughed as I wrote the headline for this because to many people’s surprise, I am a huge introvert. Sometimes I can physically feel the energy draining from my body when I’m with a group of people. It has nothing to do with who is in the group — I love my friends and am always grateful when our schedules align. But the way I’m wired means I recharge by being alone with myself and my own thoughts. So when I used to hear the word “community” I’d cringe and think, “No! Please don’t make me leave my house!” 

But over time, I’ve come to understand that community can mean something different for us all while still serving the same purpose. According to one study, a sense of community is “increasingly being recognized as an important determinant of health.” And the CDC cites that it can help prevent heart disease, dementia, anxiety, and depression as well as improve overall quality of life. 

Blue Zones are places in the world where people regularly live to 100 years or older. They have a lot in common including a clear sense of community. “Ikigai: The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life” is one of my favorite books and details how it’s possible to live a long, healthy life, including daily integration of community. In many blue zones, they end their day by congregating at the local social house (whatever that looks like for their culture) to swap stories from the day and just hang out for a while.

So, what does community look like in our busy everyday lives and how can we cultivate community that feels more aligned with us individually? 

For many people, this answer is easy. You simply gravitate towards a group that shares similar interests and that’s your community. This might be related to your religion, your work, your hobbies, where your child goes to school, where you live, or any number of things. Whether you’re in the HOA, the PTA, or the CIA, you can find community in all of those places. Sites like Meet-Up make it easy to find people with like minded interests, and the offerings have broadened thanks to Zoom. 

Even if you’re introverted and find too much socializing to be draining, it’s still important to get out there and be social. It doesn’t have to be a lot, maybe just volunteering once or twice a month, or joining an online community that allows you to participate on your own time. You could take a class to learn a new skill or maybe even teach a skill somewhere local. I like to embroider, and during the pandemic I was asked to teach an online workshop for a group of people at work. Now that we’re back in the office, it’s turned into a monthly chat where we share the projects we’re working on, tips and tricks, and whatever else is on people’s minds. This meet-up is one of the community events I genuinely look forward to. Volunteering also offers all different levels of socialization from being really extroverted, like hosting events, to more solitary, like picking up trash at the beach with an organization.

Inclusion of online spaces in the concept of community it very important to recognize as well. The 2008 documentary Second Skin perfectly shows how gamers get a bad rap for being anti-social when in reality they are building communities with people all over the world, it’s just in a virtual context. Some people live in rural areas, don’t have access to reliable transportation, have disabilities, or have any other number of reasons why physically engaging in community may be hard for them. That’s why it’s always a good idea to keep accessibility of communities in mind when organizing them.

So this week, how can you engage in community 1% more? Can you find an online community that only requires a level of participation you’re comfortable with? Can you volunteer for an organization that does something you’re interested in? Can you join that group at church or school that you’ve been meaning to join? Can you engage more deeply with some of the acquaintanceships you already have and broaden your personal community that way? The more you embrace community, the better chance you give yourself at having a longer happy, healthy life.

With gratitude,

Natalie