An explosion of research over the past few decades reveals a cultural shift toward moments of happiness, rather than a broader contentment with life. There’s even talk of “gross domestic happiness” rather than gross domestic product. Apparently, how we feel from hour to hour matters more than our overall happiness in life. We tend to focus on our closest relationships, but recent evidence suggests acquaintances are equally important. Gillian Sandstorm, a psychology lecturer at the University of Essex, found that participants with large networks of loose acquaintances were happier overall, and felt happier on days they recorded a higher number of casual interactions. For example, our regular coffee shop barista can significantly boost our mood for the day.
— paraphrased from Friday, Jan 2nd 2022, Vancouver Province article Overwhelmed By Recent Events? (London Daily Telegraph)
This makes a lot of sense to me. In fact, I’m a regular at my local coffee shop and I’ve noticed the sense of community I feel each time I visit. Most of the patrons are regulars and I think we would consider each other friends. We’ve often chatted about how we kinda feel like colleagues because many of us like to begin our work day there. The coffee shop has been a saving grace during Covid, offering a sense of belonging and place of solace that we’ve been able to lean on. Just sayin’ :) Hugs. XO
Blessings,
Chatgirl
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