How To Feel More Connected During Social Interactions
Article Round-Up: 10.13.24
Enjoy this week’s curated round-up of articles, podcasts, and more from the web to help you live a healthier, happier life.
Featured Thoughts:
Happiness is an illusion…
Takeaway: Happiness is not a destination. It’s not a place or product.
Happiness must be built. And one day we all come to realize that happiness isn’t an outcome, it’s found in the process of building happiness.
Published This Week:
Why Your Cravings Keep Winning—And How to Change That
Takeaway: Food should enhance your experience, not BE your experience.
If you feel like food is always in control, the key might not be avoiding it but choosing higher-quality indulgences. By making your favorite treats more special, you naturally cut back on how often you indulge—and enjoy them more when you do.
Shift the focus away from food and onto the moments and people around you, and you’ll find food becomes a part of the experience, not the entire event.
How To Feel Connected During An Interaction
Takeaway: According to the author, there are four key elements that make two individuals feel connected during an interaction. It’s no surprise they are included in this discussion about “The Friendship Formula.” (Read about the Friendship Formula here.)
Those four elements are:
Experiencing a shared reality. Shared experiences are powerful.
Experiencing a partner’s responsiveness. Being interesting stems first from being interested. Active listening is a crucial skill.
Experiencing our own interest in our partner. Finding common ground or a shared interest so that we want to be connected.
Having “the feels.” How the interaction makes us feel—drained or energized. (In the Friendship Formula article I refer to this as empathetic balance.)
Just For Fun: What I’m Watching Right Now
Three TV Shows I Feel The Need To Share With You… (all on Netflix)
#1: Dinner Time Live with David Chang
Two celebrity guests, one renowned chef, great conversations about food and culture. Like hanging out at a dinner party with your famous friends.
#2: Nobody Wants This
A Rabbi and Sex Podcast host walk into a bar… and fall in love? This show is both hilarious and heart-warming. Perfect for my fellow Rom-Com fans out there.
#3 Love Is Blind—DC
Ok this is a guilty pleasure of mine, some of the only trash TV you’ll find in my house. But I can’t help it, the whole premise (and the drama) is so fascinating. In case you aren’t familiar, this is a reality show where men and women seek to find the perfect match—without ever seeing them physically. (There are also versions based in Mexico, Brazil, South Africa, Sweden, and more.)
Thanks for reading this week’s article round-up. If you’re curious to learn more, here are three ways I can help you get in shape:
End Self-Sabotage Masterclass: This video will teach you the playbook for feeling more optimistic and positive about your goals. This is a must-watch for everyone, even if you aren’t currently working to improve health behaviors.
Free Fitness Consultation: Book a risk-free call with a member of my team so that we can help you gain clarity on how to reach your fitness goals as efficiently as possible.
Watch the David Chang episode with Christina Tosi and Dulce Sloan. It’s chaotic, hilarious, and makes cooking feel fun again. (Meal prep can easily steal the joy of cooking.)