Well-Being Practices to Build the Skills of Connection
The second pillar of the recently published Healthy Minds Framework for Well-Being is connection - a feeling of care and kinship toward other people, promoting supportive relationships and supportive interactions. The practices in this pillar help you build the skills of appreciation, kindness and compassion. You can practice the whole pillar by downloading our freely available Healthy Minds Program app. Here are a few to get you started:
1. One Good Thing
The more you practice the skill of appreciation by noticing the positive in yourself and other people, the easier it gets. Over the next day or two, do your best to notice one good thing in every situation. Bring moments of appreciation into your day by paying attention to the positive qualities of the people you interact with, the world around you, and your own strengths. (Try this Appreciation for Those We Find Challenging seated meditation to continue building this skill.)
2. Send Compassion
Compassion is the feeling that arises when you are confronted with another’s suffering and feel motivated to relieve that suffering. We all have a natural desire to be free from hardship. In this practice, we’ll explore how we share this desire with people we care about.
Think about the different ways you respond to challenges throughout your day. See if you can notice an underlying wish to be free of hardships in any of your actions.
Now try to see that same wish in someone you care about who is going through a difficult time. Bring to mind a family member or a close friend.
Reflect on the difficulty that your loved one is facing. Pay attention to the feelings that arise in your body.
Notice any wish or desire you have for them to be free of their suffering. Hold that positive wish in your mind and notice what it feels like.
You can either now end the practice, or you can reach out to your family member or close friend - bringing your compassion directly to the person in need.
3. Healing Division
In this practice, we use the skill of empathy to heal tension and resistance in our own heart, and open the door to a less divided world.
Take a moment to reflect on your own beliefs and ask yourself, “Why do I believe the things I do? What experiences have shaped my beliefs?” Take a few moments now to uncover some of these influences.
Now bring to mind someone who has very different beliefs than you. Take a moment to bring them to mind and then reflect on what you know about their beliefs and views.
Now, see if you can reflect on some things that might’ve contributed to their way of seeing the world. The key here is to be open and curious, not judgmental.
Next, explore their values and principles. What does this person’s beliefs say about their values?
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