Connection is a Win-Win
Plus, join me at events in Austin, London, and online this month.
Did you catch the last sentence of my new TED talk? It captures one of my favorite aspects of social health.
Specifically: investing in your social health directly benefits other people because, by definition, it requires mutual, meaningful connection. The way to be socially healthy is to strengthen your relationships and sense of community.
In contrast, investing in your physical and mental health benefits others only indirectly. Think about it: becoming physically and mentally healthy means strengthening your body and mind. While that certainly helps you show up better for others, the latter is a secondary effect.
“Make relationships your priority—not only for you, but also for the people you love. Because the beauty of nurturing your own social health is that it naturally enriches the social health of everyone you connect with.” —TED Talk
By being intentional about connection in your life, you will reap benefits for your health and wellbeing—while also benefiting the people you connect with. “That’s what makes social health so special,” [Kasley] says. “It’s a gift not only to you, but also to the world.” —Forbes Interview
We see this reciprocal beauty in acts of kindness and volunteering: helping others, it turns out, helps you. In a popular 2008 study, researcher Elizabeth Dunn and her colleagues found that people who spent money on others experienced greater happiness than people who spent money on themselves.
Of course, all of this is true for positive connection. As I’ve written before, not all connection is good connection; negative interactions, just like toxic relationships, can be detrimental. But when it’s positive, connection is a win-win.
I invite you to reflect: What’s one thoughtful thing you can do for someone else this week? See how they react—and how it makes you feel.
While we’re talking about win-wins, if you leave a review for my book on Amazon, I’ll mail you a signed, personalized bookplate and handwritten note. It’s easy: just hit ‘reply’ and email me a screenshot of your review and your mailing address.
Upcoming Events
In addition to private events for clients, I’ll be doing a few public events this month—and I hope to see some of you there!
March 7: SXSW Opening Session in Austin, Texas
I’m honored to be giving the opening keynote to kick off SXSW 2025 on Friday (no pressure… 👀). I’ll also be signing books, so come say hi! I’d love to connect with you in person.
March 18: WIRED Health Keynote in London, England
British friends and colleagues, I’m headed your way! I’m looking forward to speaking at the WIRED Health conference and enjoying London. Let me know if you’ll be there and use code SPEAKER-25 for a discount.
March 20: University of Chicago Panel (virtual)
Join me and fellow author Allison Gilbert for an engaging discussion on the power of connection. It’s free to register.
If you have recommendations for Austin or London (restaurants, coffee shops, bookstores, etc.), please hit ‘reply’ and let me know. I’ve been to both cities but don’t know them well. Thank you!
Awesome to see you championing the importance of social health on some big keynote stages, Kasley! Thanks for the work you’re doing to bring awareness to this :)
Great job Kasley! So proud of your accomplishments ~ honored to reference you as a former Penn roomie.