Today’s world is tough on all of us. We have what the American Psychological Association calls a “Crisis of Connection” with 50% of American adults feeling isolated, left out of society and lacking companionship. Among adults who say that social division is a stressor in their lives, the rates of loneliness and isolation climb even higher. 75% of Americans feel they don’t belong in their community. If there is any bright side in the data, it is in our resilient hope. 65% of American adults still feel a strong sense of civic responsibility. Even more encouraging, 85% feel that they can create a better life for themselves, even if it looks different from other generations.
How then, to bridge the gap between how people feel and their belief that they can feel differently? The pandemic forced us into isolation, with fewer opportunities to socialize beyond the home. Post-COVID, we have yet to return to our more social selves. A recent study shows Americans now spend on average one hour a day less outside of their home. That’s a full 60 minutes less of engaging with others – helping, listening and interacting with others.
These everyday social acts are precisely what activate the parts of our brain that release dopamine, the reward system hardwired into us and motivating us to do more, cooperate, and trust one another. It is thus no surprise that we have a rise in antisocial behavior: 47% of Americans say there is more rude behavior in public post-COVID while only 34% of Americans feel that people can be trusted. In other words, we are out of practice being in a community and we’re not receiving the feel good signals from our brains that encourage us to do so.
For many, it is hard to know where to begin, especially when feelings of isolation and loneliness are also linked to the depression and anxiety that make us more risk averse to social situations. This is an infinite loop of bad vibes and one which we (Kristie and Laurie) easily relate to, as our cancer journeys were compounded by COVID isolation. We understand the fear and challenges, yet we also believe that with some practice, we can rediscover the art of conversation, the art of connection, the art of community and thus, The Art of Awareness.
Reclaiming a sense of community and belonging begins here. Research shows listening to podcasts satisfies the need for social connection and engages the prosocial parts of our brains. People feel connected to hosts’ and guests’ and experience triggering greater empathy, along with stronger life meaning and purpose. We therefore begin our project to connect in the safe space of our listeners' phones – in their homes, cars, gyms and workplaces.
From here, we believe that this connection with listeners can go a step further into community engagement, giving and volunteerism. We are a known entity, with local focus, and non-divisive topics, making the next steps of engagement and involvement less far-fetched and less stress-inducing. It is in this way that The Art of Awareness makes community viral again by appealing to a broad and inclusive audience, telling feel good and relatable stories, and crafting safe spaces to meet and learn about our neighbors and organizations doing great things.