Laugh together, cry together, achieve goals together

Every four years, there is a soccer World Cup , where people come together to cheer on the public viewing, share the excitement with other people at the soccer games, celebrate together, or cry together. Of course, you can also watch it alone in front of your own screen. But it’s not the same, is it? Shared emotions are strengthened, shared suffering is reduced, and shared experiences connect people with each other. So, is a shared meal much more enjoyable than alone, isn’t it?

From an anthropological point of view, humans are gregarious animals. We have a natural instinct to survive, which makes us social creatures. Without a herd to join, it would have been much harder to survive in the past than it is today. Nevertheless, this instinct is still anchored in us today and we always try to be part of a group. Let’s take drinking alcohol together at events or in bars in the evening. I hear quite a few of my clients that they say “If I don’t drink, I don’t really feel like I belong to my colleagues/friends”. Alcohol is a double-edged sword anyway. If you don’t drink, you’re an outsider. If you drink too much and count as an alcoholic, you will also be expelled from the group. We don’t want to exclude anyone from the group here.

It can be similar when you think of your project “developing a healthy lifestyle”. Don’t you want to be part of a group? And wouldn’t you be more likely to keep up with your regular running dates if you had a running partner? Or if your family members in the same household follow your healthy diet, wouldn’t it be easier for you, too? Even if you don’t have a running partner and/or supporters in the household, you still have the opportunity to connect with a group. If you can cheer for a football team, how about being cheered on towards your personal goal of putting your health on the podium? Don’t just be in the audience! Be part of a team that wants to bring the trophy home!

If you’ve been challenged to implement a healthy diet on your own because you may have lacked motivation or stamina, I invite you to be part of a group pursuing the same goal. As participant of NIARIA’s holistic health coaching, you can exchange ideas with other team members, get inspiration, celebrate success together, stay motivated and so much more.