48. De-stigmatize loneliness. If you're lonely, you're not alone.

The stigma and silence surrounding loneliness only makes us lonelier. If you’re lonely, you’re not alone.

connection, belonging, lonelinessJessica GiffordJuly 18, 2022 Comment

47. Connect with nature

Connecting with nature is something we can do on our own. And experiences of awe--often inspired by nature--increase feelings of connectedness to others and to humanity more broadly.

connection, mental health, wellnessJessica GiffordJuly 11, 2022aweComment

46. The impacts of feeling unwanted and Roe vs. Wade

Heads up – today’s post explores opinions related to Roe vs. Wade and the impact this decision has on connection and mental health.

friendship, connection, belongingJessica GiffordJuly 4, 2022Comment

45. Match in-person social time with online time. (Your smartphone may be making you lonelier).

Is spending so much time online eroding our in-person social skills? Connecting with people IRL has huge physical and mental health benefits.

connection, friendship, lonelinessJessica GiffordJune 27, 2022social mediaComment

44. Make a memory

If you feel like the days are going by in a blur with little to set them apart, try making a memory with a friend to break out of the routine and bring you closer.

connection, friendship, relationship-buildingJessica GiffordJune 20, 2022Comment

43. Three Reasons to Accept Compliments

Practicing receiving compliments (gracefully) can change the way we see ourselves, help build confidence, and strengthen connection between you and the compliment-giver.

connection, relationship-building, friendshipJessica GiffordJune 13, 2022 Comments

42. Practice Generosity

Most of us think that spending money on ourselves will make us happy, but the research shows that spending money on other people—or engaging in other acts of generosity—gives us a bigger boost in happiness.

connection, friendshipJessica GiffordJune 6, 2022generosityComment

41. Engage in Social Action. It's an antidote for hopelessness

With so many terrible things in the news, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed and pessimistic about the state of the world. Engaging in social action—even micro-action—can help.

connection, mental health, resilienceJessica GiffordMay 30, 2022Comment

40. Set up "automatic recurring connections" and relieve loneliness

Making friends, and having real connection in our lives, has gotten hard. It takes work. If we want to reduce loneliness, we need to make connection easier.

connection, friendship, relationship-buildingJessica GiffordMay 23, 2022 Comments

39. Psychological safety: the precondition for connection

Google discovered the secret ingredient that sets high-performing teams apart … psychological safety. This post describes how to build it in teams and relationships.

connection, belonging, productivityJessica GiffordMay 16, 2022 Comments

38. Brush up on your social intelligence skills

People with high social intelligence have stronger relationships, better mental and physical health, are more likely to be promoted at work, and have greater life satisfaction. Here’s how to hone your SI skills.

connection, relationship-building, relationshipsJessica GiffordMay 10, 2022Comment

37. Apologize well (and avoid these common mistakes)

Apologies can make a relationships stronger, or destroy them. This post explores the good, bad, and ugly when it come to apologies.

36. Implement Check-ins

Mutual sharing increases liking and closeness … and this simple exercise helps people share easily.

35. Make conscious choices about your social media use. It may be making you lonely, depressed and anxious.

Even though we KNOW that social media posts are curated, we still make ourselves miserable by comparing our insides to other people’s outsides.

loneliness, mental health, connectionJessica GiffordApril 18, 2022social media, comparisonComment

34. Try something new … and break out of a friendship rut.

If you have a friend or friend group that’s fallen into a rut, try doing something new and exciting (like these ideas) to re-ignite your friendship.

friendship, connection, relationshipsJessica GiffordApril 11, 2022Comment

33. Laugh: 6 ways to increase your LQ (Laughter Quotient)

Did you know that laughing reduces loneliness (as well as a whole host of other benefits)? Here are some ideas to up your laughter game.

connection, happiness, relationship-buildingJessica GiffordApril 4, 2022laughter Comments

32. Change your enviroment ... it may be making you lonelier.

Most of us want to feel more connected, but our physical environment may be conspiring against that goal.

connection, belonging, happinessJessica GiffordMarch 28, 2022physical environment, spaceComment

31. Croissant, don’t bagel (it’s more inclusive).

What do breakfast breads have to do with socializing? Read on to find out…

30. Set boundaries. Caring TOO much may be contributing to burnout.

We tend to think of compassionate people as having a bottomless well of kindness, but the truth is that the people who are most compassionate have strong boundaries.

burnout, wellness, relationshipsJessica GiffordMarch 14, 2022boundaries, compassion Comments

29. Strengthen your empathy muscle.

There is evidence that empathy is on the decline, which has frightening personal and global consequences. But you can take steps to build your empathy muscle.

mental health, connection, wellnessJessica GiffordMarch 7, 2022empathy Comments

101+ ways to create connection and community.

Who we’ve worked with