April 7, 2020
Tuesday Health & Wellness Tidbit from Your Rural Stress Transdisciplinary Team
Connectivity in Times of Crisis
Words take on new meanings in times of stress. Consider the words, “unprecedented” or “social distancing,” which have very different meanings to us now than they did 30 days ago. Connectivity is another word that changes in context with our current culture. Defined as “the state of being connected or interconnected” we are beginning to understand the importance of this word.
At first glance connectivity is a term from technology that refers to the ability to communicate information. I would like to suggest that it goes much deeper than that, in its role as a vehicle for a much older term, “relationship.” KSRE is built on a foundation of relationships that enables us to meet the needs of our communities. Those relationships would not be possible without connectivity.
This connectivity, as a means of developing and maintaining relationships, becomes increasingly important in a time of “spatial distancing.” (Another important term I just thought of!) We now must be intentional in the bridging of that spatial gap. We have lost the face to face contact with folks we saw at the office, visited with in the grocery store, or shook hands with at church. So, in this new world, how do we go about closing the space between us? I would suggest that we return to previous ways of communication including a phone call, or a hand written note. Texting and email is still in the mix, but we need to be careful of the monochromatic nature of a text. If (and it is) communication is 85% body language, tone and inflection, then it is important to be aware of what we are communicating with a text or an email. Technology can provide wonderful opportunities for connectivity with vehicles such as Skype, Facetime, Zoom, etc.
As Steven Covey notes, seek first to understand as opposed to trying to be understood. In every relationship listening may be the most powerful tool we possess.