📲 Take the 100 Second Challenge
Text Three People NOW
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🛑 STOP READING this post and text three people to simply say you are thinking about them.
Don’t ask for a favor. Don’t expect anything in return. Just connect with them and tell them they are meaningful to you. Tell them you miss them. Remind them of a fun time you had in the past together. Just reach out.
I call this the 100 Second Challenge because it can be done in that amount of time. It may be the most valuable 100 seconds of your day. Executing on this challenge will be good for your vitality and very good for the person on the other end of your text.
We have discussed this challenge before on Vitality Explorers. I am repeating it on purpose because it is so important. And, we need to be reminded social connection is at the top of the list in terms of predictors of survival, higher than smoking or physical activity. See chart below:
Interesting research suggests people overestimate the awkwardness of sending a supportive text and underestimate the value of receiving one. (See chart below)
Researchers found we often fail to reach out to support our friends, family and colleagues because we worry too much about how they will respond. Here are some specific findings to consider:
Supporters often worry about providing competent or helpful advice. Recipients value the warmth and kindness conveyed not the actual advice.
Concerns about competence and effectiveness make people hesitant to offer support. This results in missed opportunities for deeper connections and improved well-being.
The researchers concluded people often undervalue their ability to meaningfully help others. We need to recognize our presence even via a text message is more important than our advice and reach out more often to support people.
Researchers have also found found that if that message was in a “surprising context” it was appreciated more. (See graph below)
Vitality Explorer News Analysis and Recommendations
The data supporting social connection as a measure of overall vitality is staggering. We need to stop worrying about how much we can help and simply do our best to connect with each other more often.
The cost is virtually zero in terms of time and money when we participate in the 100 Second Challenge. So, do it now. Text three people and let them know they are important to you. If they text you back, ask them to reach out to three more people.
Let’s do our best to connect as many people as possible with the: #100SecondChallenge
Please post your comments below about this challenge and please share this post with your network.
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References:
The Surprise of Reaching Out: Appreciated More Than We Think. Lui et al 2022. https://doi.org/10.1037/pspi0000402
Too Reluctant to Reach Out: Receiving Social Support Is More Positive Than Expressers Expect. Dungan et al 2022. https://doi.org/10.1177/09567976221082942