Day 4 - Give a gift that builds relationships

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Giving gifts is a way many people share their love - and what better way to spread cheer than by helping our friends and families feel happier and more connected throughout 2018. We've gathered below a quick list of gift options that bring people together around shared experiences or adventures - but the creative possibilities for giving are truly endless! Join us today in finding great, meaningful gifts for those people in your life you want to celebrate - and in the process, help them make 2018 their Year of Connectedness!

Some examples of possible one-time experiences:

  • Tickets for a group of friends to attend a favorite team's sports game
  • Tickets to themed conventions (i.e. comicon, GamesCon, or MegaCon)
  • A cooking class (don't be scared to go alone!) to pick up some new culinary techniques
  • A trip centered around a common interest (i.e. a group hiking adventure, a playbill cruise, or a singles-specific trip)
  • A night out at a local Paint Night, wine-tasting event, or Top Golf.

Some examples of possible on-going experiences:

Some examples of possible goods that bring people together:

  • Boardgames (go classic for a family fun night, or try a newer option with friends!)
  • Outdoor equipment (a backyard football, special clothing for paintball, or a tent for an upcoming camping trip)
  • Baking tools (sometimes it's more fun to cook if you know you can share the results with others!)

Whatever you choose to gift, we hope some of these might inspire you to give presents that celebrate the gift of relational presence, as well!

 

Day 3 - Make a 2018 Connection Plan

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With only 8 days left in 2017, today is a great day to take 15 minutes to start writing a plan for making 2018 your Year of Connectedness. Remember all those wonderful connection memories you thought about yesterday? Today, let's put them into action. 

A new year always triggers the creation of resolutions - and most of these are things we force ourselves to give up - chocolate, candy, or even late-night television. This year, we challenge you instead to think about the meaningful moments that you want to add. We know life is busy - and trying to add one more thing (even if it's a fun thing!) can feel overwhelming. But meaningful connection with others is just as important to our emotional health as jazzercise is to our physical health. So making a plan for when and where to spend quality time with the people we are care about in 2018 is a great way to get started on the right foot toward true wellness.

We have created a calendar worksheet for you to download to help - science tells us writing things down strongly increases our chances for success - so why not go ahead and pencil in a few lunch dates and/or hiking adventures with old friends?! (We have also tagged a few of our favorite calendars and paper companies on Facebook if you get REALLY inspired to make tangible plans for your wonderfully connected 2018!) Get creative - there are endless ways to get excited for delightful moments in the coming year.

Please share your favorite moments of your 2018 plans with us here -- we are so inspired by all your connections!

Day 2 - Think about when you feel the most connected

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At the end of the year, there always seem to be a thousand things to do - work deadlines to meet, personal projects to cross of the list, gifts to purchase, meals to prepare, and plans to be made. This hustle can get overwhelming, and sometimes can feel lonely even when surrounded by people. We challenge you today to take a 15 minute break for yourself - and to simply focus on the positive moments of the past year that have made you feel the most connected.

Perhaps these connected moments have been big - an extended family vacation years in the planning, or a monumental birthday celebration with 100 friends. Or perhaps these moments have been very small - a quiet dinner at home with a special friend, or a letter received from a grandchild away in college. Whatever those moments are, take a minute to remember them (and if you want, download our printable worksheet below full of guiding questions to help you actually write down your memories!). These moments of connection are the bright stars in our journey - remembering them and celebrating them help remind us of the meaningful connections we already have built in our lives. 

Keep these thoughts in mind -- and come back tomorrow to put them to good use moving forward in 2018! And feel free to let us know how your reach-outs went yesterday!

Day 1 - Call (or better yet, visit!) a friend you haven't spoken with in years

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Loneliness impacts all of us. And in some seasons, the feeling can be even more pronounced. We are excited to take the next 12 days to kick-off our journey towards 2018 -  and what we here at The Cost of Loneliness Project™ are calling The Year of Connectedness. Each day, from now until January 1, we will offer an idea that helps connect all of us - easy, quick, fun suggestions to help all of us feel more passion, more purpose, and more connected in our daily lives. Please join us in this journey, and let us know how you are feeling as we move into the wonderful connections of 2018!

For day 1, we offer you this: the chance to simply reach out and say 'hi' to someone from your past. It could be a childhood best friend, a long-lost cousin, someone you served with in the armed forces, or a friend from work you parted with years ago. Text them, call them, or best yet, go visit in person. They might be feeling lonely, and your gesture of returned friendship might just make their year. Feeling especially excited? Call two people! Take just 15 minutes today to reach out and rebuild - nothing helps quiet loneliness like the feeling of connection.

Join us tomorrow for day 2 - and let us know how your reconnection goes today!