How daily practice can rebuild a community and bring back human connection
Since March, projectY cowork has been very quiet while our community members work from home. It’s been a tough adjustment, and with things still feeling so uncertain, it got me thinking about how we can regain a sense of normalcy. As I’ve learned from my network of friends in the Coworking Content Lab, coworking is not just about the physical space; it’s about the people that make up our special community.
I recently attended a webinar where author Casper ter Kuile spoke about his book The Power of Ritual: Turning Everyday Activities into Soulful Practices. It was eye-opening. I was suddenly full of ideas about how to inspire myself and others to live better lives and be a part of something bigger than ourselves.
2020 has been a tumultuous year, and everyone is clinging to anything that gives them a sense of normalcy. Casper nails it with this quote from his book, “In the midst of a crisis of isolation, where loneliness leads to deaths of despair, being truly connected isn’t a luxury. It’s a lifesaver.” I know that, for myself, it’s been hard to grasp that life is just different now. One thing that helps keep me sane is my own set of personal daily rituals. No matter how chaotic the world might be, sticking to my routine helps me feel a little more grounded.
Daily activities like journaling, a socially-distanced walk, or even keeping up with household chores can help us cope with these ever-changing times. But as we’ve seen over the past few months, people generally don’t do well in isolation; even the most introverted of introverts needs occasional human interaction. That’s why it’s important to seek out group activities as well. At the community level, there are traditions and practices that help keep us together and can even bring us closer as we move through these unpredictable days.
I’m a part of a local social group, Ladies of Los Alamos on Facebook. We started it four years ago, and this year it has been an absolute blessing. Even if we don’t get to see each other like we used to, we hold virtual events like happy hours and book clubs to maintain that important connection.
While I listened to Casper, I thought about how important my club has been to me lately, and ideas about how to rebuild our community at projectY cowork really started flowing. For now, our new activities will be virtual or in small groups. But everything starts with a first step.
I know that video conference calls on a daily basis can be exhausting, but there are ways to make it fun. I’ve played at game nights, watched movies, and enjoyed the occasional happy hour, all over video. We’ve tried a few of these with projectY members as well. Health and safety are still the most important things, so rebuilding our community means using whatever ways are available now. When it’s safe for us to all be together in the same room again, we’ll already have a strong foundation to build upon.
I encourage anyone to stop by for a cup of coffee and tour the space and come see what projectY has to offer. See you soon! You can reach me at 505-661-4862 or christina@losalamos.org