No, we are not canceling, we are evolving together
(don’t worry if you are already booked with us we are just making your experience more awesome)
Connection in a Time of Fear
Media reports, beeping tickers, text messages from worried family, breaking news on the top of every feed, all serving up the same dish: FEAR. The possibility of a global pandemic disrupts even our most rooted feelings of safety. Here at CityHUNT, our humanity means that our fears can flare just like everyone else, and it also means that we must take a minute to pause, place our hands on our hearts, and remember that we are all in this together.
If you have followed us for a while, you know that we have been deeply influenced by the work of Sean Achor. This positive psychology researcher from Harvard studies topics like human resilience, behavior, and mindset. The particularly relevant part of his work at this moment is in a topic called Post Traumatic Growth. First, we have to acknowledge, which Achor does, that no traumatic event in itself is good. There is nothing “good” about the loss of human life, great tragedy, or the failure of infrastructure. However, once we radically accept the reality of the moment we have the opportunity to ask the question: What now?
One of the essential components of optimism is the belief that our behavior still matters, that even though the world has been shaken up, we still have the responsibility to act lovingly, kindly, and mindfully. The people who keep to these growth ideals tend to “fall up” after tragedy or trials instead of spiraling down. Instead of just returning to their previous state of being, there is actually the opportunity to grow, expand, and connect in a stronger fashion. So here’s the catch, this works best in the supportive hammock of deep social support. When the issue at hand is one that seeks to divide us, make us afraid, and isolate us even further, the opportunity for growth can feel even harder to grasp.
I invite you to choose growth. I invite you to choose love and Soulful Abundance. I invite you to rise through the challenge. According to social psychologists, this is the best way to do that:
Step 1: Invest in your social networks. With over 70% of Americans feeling lonely, we cannot afford to create more hate, division, and panic. In fact, the greatest predictor of health overall is the strength of our social relationships. Oxytocin, the bonding hormone, shows as a promising treatment for inflammatory and morbidity causing illness. If you’re really into the research you can read an interesting study here. When we feel afraid, it turns on our “lizard brain” the primal
epicenter of our ancestors called the Amygdala. When this happens, blood is diverted from our pituitary gland, the giver of that sweet bonding hormone, Oxytocin. See the problem? Fear is literally making our immune systems weaker.
TLDR version: feeling connected to others regulates our immune response and makes us healthier-something with greater impact that a face mask in light of a viral scare.
Step 2: Change the way you describe the traumatic event to yourself. Here’s how we choose to look at it: this current reality is giving us the opportunity to think about our friendships and connections more mindfully. This is the perfect time to get creative with our connections, greetings, and even the kind of hand soap we like (I love to lather up for a full 30 seconds with luxurious soaps with my favorite essential oils).
Can you create a new way of greeting your coworkers with doesn’t use hand touching? Get creative with elbow bumps, foot taps, maybe throwing in your best dabbing move? Have a friend film it and tag us on social media or send directly to me at hunt@cityhunt.org for a special discount on a CityHUNT game. #covidapprovedgreeting
For us at Cityhunt, we’ve made a big decision, we’re canceling all “Scavenger Hunts” and evolving all our games to be full of challenges that foster communication, stronger social networks, mindful connection, no hand touching(for now), and SO MUCH FUN!!!
OXYTOCIN FOR EVERYBODY!
Use code “Coronastrong” for a free upgrade on a CityHUNT game. Your body, mind, spirit and team will thank you.
Shawn Achor is the founder of Good Think, Inc. and the author of The Happiness Advantage. In 2006, he was Head Teaching Fellow for “Positive Psychology,” the most popular course at Harvard at the time. He holds a Masters from Harvard Divinity School and has spoken in 45 countries to a wide variety of audiences, including bankers on Wall Street, students in Dubai, and CEOs in Zimbabwe.
** Thanks for being AWESOME, Ben.
Thank you for being here and staying up to date as a part of the CityHUNT family. I’d love to bring more connection and joy to your life, no matter your budget. Reach out to me anytime at ben@cityhunt.org with questions, feedback, or just to say hello!
