I woke up stressed thinking about the amount of work that needed to be completed. I rushed from home skipping my morning routine. As I started walking towards the office building, I felt my heart beat was a little faster and my body tensed than usual. My mind was constantly working. I was worrying about the projects that needed my attention.

Suddenly I noticed a colleague passing by. We greeted each other and exchanged a few words. As I walked further down the road I met another co-worker who asked me about the recent vacation I had. It brought a big smile onto my face. You know how it feels when somebody asks you about your holiday!

That question took me down the memory lane to the lovely time I had doing nothing and just being with family. I felt the cold breeze hitting my face and the grounding I experienced as I walked bare foot on the grass every day morning. I almost tasted the delicious food that mom cooked. The laughter with my sister, the smell of filter coffee and the great time with my friends in the coffee shop made me nostalgic. I painted the entire vacation through my memory lens in the canvas of now. I suddenly felt alive, felt so light

And then I noticed something..

My heartbeat had slowed down. I was relaxed, more present. The tension that I had experienced early on had disappeared. Those ‘real’ human connections probably activated the feel good hormones in my system which changed the physiology and my emotional state. I realized these micro moments of human connections have tremendous power. They have the potential to change how someone feels yet we remain oblivious to these possibilities. Those two people made a big difference to me today. I felt upbeat and positive, charged enough to meet the demands of the day. They made my day.

I decided to carry the torch of those micro moments of human connection further. In the lift where people are usually glued to the beeping devices, I was mindful to smile and started a conversation on how beautiful the weather was. In few moments we were all laughing on a common office joke.

It takes less than five seconds to build those micro moments of human connections but has the potential to change lives.

Studies show that simple acts of eye contact releases oxytocin – the feel good hormone, smiling releases endorphins, reduces stress and creates a sense of belonging. With determined effort and commitment, we can build practices and habits that will help us achieve higher levels of happiness. We just have to be a little more intentional, a little more mindful.

With a high five!

Until next..
Keep smiling!