Add people to everyday life

0:03 Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of iHeartRadio. Good morning. This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. Today's tip is that if you want more connection in your life, invite people to join you for something you are already planning to do. This doesn't take extra time, but does make daily life more pleasant. Today's tip comes from Nicholas Epley, a professor of behavioral science at the University of Chicago and author of the book, A Little More Social. Nick was a guest on Before Breakfast not long ago. He suggested that we add social connection to moments you are already having. Now, in a recent episode, we talked about adding some solitude to life, and sometimes we want to

0:58 do that. But we might also want more connection at other points. A good life needs both. But everyone is busy these days. So Nick wants us to ask, when can I take something I am currently doing that's not social and without any additional effort to speak of, make it a little more social than it would be otherwise?

1:23 He gave the example of calling people while you're driving, inviting a friend over to join you if you're watching a ball game on TV, or asking a neighbor to join you when you're walking your dog. I love these ideas. You could also go for a walk or a run with a friend. You plan to exercise anyway, and it will be more enjoyable if you bring a friend along.

1:45 If you don't especially like exercising, but know it is good for you, you may also find it easier to stick with your commitment. If you know your friend will show up at your house in her running shoes, all ready to go. You could FaceTime with friends while you are folding laundry. wrapping presents, or even eating your lunch.

2:08 You could commute to work once a week with a friend who lives and works near you. Now, that might add a tiny bit more time in the car or on public transit to your trip. But being with your friend will make the trip much more satisfying. Larger-scale tag-alongs can be great, too. If a colleague from your old job is going to the same professional conference as you, arranged to be on the same flight and sit side by side. You could even stay in the same hotel and get nearby rooms. Why just hope you will see each other at the conference when planning could guarantee it?

2:49 Maybe some of these possibilities seem appealing to you, or maybe they have sparked your own ideas for where you could bring a friend along. It also pays to keep your eyes open for opportunities to take whatever you are doing and make it, as Nick said, a little more social. I know we all have a lot going on. Even if we want more time with friends and family, we may be reluctant to add anything new to the calendar.

3:17 But when we ask ourselves how we could add connection to what we are already doing, suddenly, there are a lot more opportunities for being with the people we care about. In the meantime, this is Laura. Thanks for listening. And here's to making the most of our time. Thanks for listening to Before Breakfast. If you've got questions, ideas, or feedback, you can reach me at laura at lauravandercam.com. Before Breakfast is a production of iHeart Media. For more podcasts from iHeart Media, please visit the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.