How To Use Errands As Opportunities For Connection & Self-Discovery

When a conversation in the grocery line jumps from innocent to revelatory in minutes, or the whimsical chatter with a barista builds day by day, we are reminded of the power that lies in community. Here's why errands present a unique opportunity for connection and how to show up to them for maximum upliftment, joy, and enrichment.

In this innocent state of nonchalance, we are simultaneously more peeled back, effortless, and authentic. Sans the artifice, we are more approachable and unwittingly receptive to actually being seen, known, met, and spoken to. This can unwittingly attract easeful connections.

With all this in heart and mind, let's talk about how you can show up more for your errands, mundane as they may be, and transform your worldly chores from tedious transactions to vibrant interactions:

To build on this initial shift into self-connection, try musing on your errands as potent possibilities for outward interaction. Trust in the mystery of the human contact that may occur. Our desire for connection is downright rudimentary, so why not let your errands satisfy this tender, basic need? Connection is indeed a balm to suffering.

As part of your willingness to rethink and feel differently here, begin to consider errands as acts of quirky self-care, as walking meditation, where you commune and connect with yourself as you rhythmically step along. Check your posture. Is your heart open; is your gait strong? Say a mantra like "I am living well, I choose to live well" to yourself as you walk. Seriously, try it. Drudgery, be gone.

When you do interact, commit to honoring those whom you meet as genuine beings with real lives and stories. Broaden your vision, acknowledge them, and see them as much as they see you.

No matter what, be grateful: Grateful to yourself for what you've accomplished, grateful for the cosmic swirl of your day-to-day landscape. Take comfort in the connection that takes shape when you allow for it—primal and divine at once.

The micro-connections that occur as part and parcel of our daily errands create a feeling of singular community. They remind us of the unique layers of bonding available to us as humans, and they can give us an appreciation for our humanity in all its oddity and foible. The delight derived from these surprising human contacts, however trivial they may appear, is real. Our health and well-being benefit greatly when we embrace errands as a total win-win.