Sunday, February 24, 2013

Connect, the Power of Human Relationship

CHADD Meeting

February 17th, 2013

February's adult CHADD presentation was centered around the video by Dr. Edward Hallowell,
Connect: The Power of Human Relationship.

Notes from the session:

As we have connected electronically, we have disconnected inter-personally.  We are available via technology all the time, but it can be hard to really connect with people.  It can take a lot of energy to make a real connection with others because we are either too busy or too tired.  As cities get larger and over stimulated, people screen out input and therefore can come across as cold and impersonal.

We disconnect because we are overwhelmed with stimuli.  People want to respond to connections, but life gets in the way.

Dr. Hallowell mentions Lisa Berkman's book: Health and Ways of Living: The Alameda County Study
Connection with others can make you feel safe.  If your child feels connected at home or at school, he or she will mentally and physically fell safe from trouble.  This in turn affects the immune system in a positive way.

See excerpt from book below...


We (USA) spend 130 more hours at work per year than we did 30 years ago.

Connecting with people can be difficult.  It takes work.  There is fear of rejection and wasted time spent and fear of responsibility.  However, if you do not work it into your life on purpose it will not happen.  See article The Human Moment at Work.

Dr Hallowell mentioned another book, How Rude, by Alex Packer.  However, I do not remember why he mentioned it


  1. Connect with the family you grow up with as a child - Show forgiveness for resolution
  2. Connect with the family you acquired (as an adult)
  3. Connect with friends and community
  4. Connect to work - Sense of mission
  5. Connect to beauty - Stop and smell the roses
  6. Connect to pets - Easy to be affectionate and emotional
  7. Connect to places
  8. Connect to your past
  9. Connect to information and ideas
  10. Connect to institutions and organizations
  11. Connect to which is beyond knowledge - Religion, greater purpose
  12. Connect to yourself - Be genuine, be who you are