Ron Burgundy Is "Kind Of A Big Deal", But So Is This...
Please indulge me as I stand on my soapbox and once again talk about the magic hormone called oxytocin.
I first learned of its importance 20 years ago.
Our oldest son was born prematurely which meant my husband and I had a crash course in parenting complete with CPR classes, breathing monitor training, and kangaroo care. If you haven’t heard of kangaroo care it’s skin to skin contact and humans, especially premature babies, need lots of it to grow and thrive. The doctors made sure to point out the importance of human touch to us many times and we happily obliged because a sleeping baby on your chest is a pretty easy gig!
The Kangaroo Care worked–our son is now 6’2″!
I was reminded of this fact when an acquaintance of mine posted on social media that his daughter was born prematurely. We had a brief written exchange and he inquired about any pointers both during and after the NICU stay. A flood of memories came back as I recalled the details of my own experience.
Which leads me to this week’s tip which is actually two tips– you lucky dog!
- Don’t underestimate the power of touch. I know we are in the midst of a pandemic but tuck this nugget away for when we emerge from our bubble-like existence. And in the meantime use it on friends and family. Just briefly touching a person’s elbow, forearm or hand increases oxytocin which creates connection. Studies have demonstrated how this has translated into bigger tips and better customer service reviews (#winning). It’s such a small thing to do but if done correctly can provide a lot of upsides.
- Part of being likable is being relatable. The more things we have in common, the more we tend to like the other person. In business and in life, the more “me, too!” situations you can get, the more likable you tend to be perceived
Examples:
“I like Ghirardelli chocolate too! As a matter of fact it’s the secret ingredient in my chocolate chip cookie and banana muffin recipes”
“You watched the Netflix series, Ozark, too? What did you make of the last episode?!”
“You did 23&Me too? A fun fact I learned is that my son and I are easily irritated by loud chewing–I didn’t know that was a genetic trait! What did you learn?”
A simple post caused a “me, too!” moment for me and ultimately is why I reached out to a bit of a stranger because of our similar experiences.
People are wired to connect.
It turns out, both physical and emotional connections are “kind of a big deal”. So go ahead and build your oxytocin levels and “me, too” experiences and reap their benefits.
Your co-pilot,
