Identify and Join New Communities

1 min

This first training will help you begin to develop your sense of community.

As humans, we have a deep-rooted need to feel like we belong—so much so that relationships are considered essential to our health and wellbeing, per Baumeister and Leary’s landmark study published in the Psychological Bulletin. Once we find those groups, we cling to them. However, when we stick only to what we know, we risk limiting our perspective or having our needs go unmet.The purpose of this training is to help you establish diverse groups of people in your life, helping to enrich your social connections as you continue to develop yourself.Find Your PeopleOur goal today is to join at least one new community. The following steps will help you evaluate, assess, and join new communities.

List the communities you are currently a part of. This includes any group that you interact with on a monthly basis, from groups that are strictly social to professional groups—and everything in between.
Next, think of a new type of community you can join. This could be based on one of your interests or hobbies, or some other need you have identified in your life. For instance, maybe you’re a runner and usually work out solo but would like to try finding a community for that interest.
Commit to regular participation. Remember that communities can be daily, weekly, or even once or twice a month.

The important thing is that, no matter the cadence, you should aim to show up regularly so you can truly become ingrained in your new community.Thank Yourself for Showing UpRemember, getting out of your comfort zone isn’t easy. You’re doing important work to fulfill all of your social needs, and the discomfort will pay off in the long run. In future trainings, we’ll discuss how to take your community involvement and individual relationships further.