We are tribal animals, and our ability to not only survive but to thrive has long depended on our social networks and what we invest in them. Positive social connection is scientifically proven to make us happier and healthier. According to the work of world-renowned happiness researcher, Shawn Achor, positive social connections reduce anxiety, improve our ability to focus, and also bolster our immune and cardiovascular systems.In a world where anxiety and loneliness were already on the rise, where human connection was becoming a luxury, and where physical distancing is now the new norm, we have an opportunity. An opportunity to intentionally invest in ourselves and each other, to make human connection a practice and our mental wellbeing a priority. With so much fear flooding our feeds my aim is to provide a template to cultivate connection, kindness and hope to shape a better tomorrow. We’ve now run #humanhour with many around the world and the impacts on people's day and mindset around the future is lifted. We are also working with a number of large corporations to rollout #humanhour as a way to keep staff connected whilst working from home and help build cross functional connections.
Human Hour is a commitment to spend an hour of your time invested in positive human connection.
The concept is simple. You can activate a Human Hour at any time of the day with a small group or a larger group. With people you know—or, like me, with people you don’t know by sharing your Human Hour event on social media and inviting others to join you.This hour is lightly facilitated (we will gift you all the tools for free) and has one objective: to bring positive human connection into your day. It’s not an hour to talk work, to pedal fear or share the latest statistics on COVID-19. It’s an opportunity for us to understand each other, to express gratitude and kindness, and bring a little happiness into each others' days.
If you’d like to get a feel for how this works and how to run your own Human Hour, I will be facilitating Human Hours which you can register for here. Each session is limited to a maximum of 14 participants to ensure that everyone has an opportunity to engage and be heard.Penny Locaso is a Singularity University Faculty member. Voted one of the most influential female entrepreneurs in Australia, she is the world’s first Happiness Hacker, on a mission to teach 10 million humans by 2025 how to intentionally adapt to future-proof happiness.