IRL happiness | 2.5 minute read

“I was travelling for a year, and halfway through I deleted Instagram,” Tom said to the group as he went on to explain how much more he values in-person catch-ups versus virtual ones.

Imagine you're having dinner with friends you haven’t seen in a while, and actually catching up because you haven’t been following their entire lives on social media. That’s what this was.

Tom and I started working at LinkedIn at the same time, and we bonded over books and beers — we still bond over books and beers. He was in town and organized a dinner with two other LinkedIn alumni I haven’t seen in a while.

“You have a six and a three-year-old? Has it been that long?” Shane asked.

A lot of time has passed, but the time that mattered was right in front of us, as we shared stories that connected us, made us laugh, and made us think.

“Have you seen the documentary on the Blue Zones?” Waylon asked, as he went on to remind us of the importance of meaningful social connections in achieving happiness and a longer life.

People in the Blue Zones spend time in nature, have dinner with their families, make time for their spiritual life, and spend time with friends and neighbours, as well as extended family, from grandparents to grandkids and cousins, and attend local festivals.

And, people in the Blue Zones tend to live longer.

Whether you have a long life or a short life, life is fuller with people. But not too many people; enough to make your connections genuine, not the quick and easy kind you get from social media.

There’s a healthy balance. I deleted most social media a long time ago (I still have LinkedIn) and since then, I find myself making an effort to see friends and family more. You may connect your phone to the internet, but you can only connect with people in real life.

The pebble

What if we could reverse engineer longevity? What is the secret to living a long time?

The challenge

Text or call a friend, but keep it brief. It’s about making plans to meet in person and catch up over a walk or drinks, not just chatting over the phone.