Here comes 2020, when everyone has their quarantine pods, attending virtual events, and missing family gatherings. Who would’ve thought that celebrating Christmas could be that sad? — greeting everyone from screen to screen and sending emojis was the saddest.

Now that everyone has the gist of how this pandemic slash digitally-paced social environment is, here is a complete roundabout of tips:

Be Yourself

Talking about connection demands putting yourself first on the line because after all, the connection you’re trying to build is the product of your genuine relationship with each other by interacting with people in your truest form. Being who you are will not just benefit you, it will benefit others too. As cheesy as it may sound, knowing oneself is one big step forward into building connections because you allow your true self to come out, with vulnerability into the world.

Be Attentive

Being present and showing the people around you that they are worth your time and you are making an effort to listen to them. It gives them a sigh of relief that a person is looking at them eye-to-eye and validating their thoughts. In creating stronger connections, it’s just not about you, it has always been a two-way street. It is between them who likes to share their thoughts, and you letting them talk freely.

Be Empathetic

Psychology Today defines empathy as, “the ability to share and understand the emotions of others.” It creates a venue for you and the people around you to discover yourselves by being open-minded and learn how to cope with one another.

Empathy also stimulates genuine compassion that enables you to regulate your emotion. In establishing connections, there is always room for biases and diverse perspectives. Empathy now takes place in enabling yourself how to respond to different reservations and see yourself in their situation.

Reach-Out

It can never be more gratifying than seeing a person reaching out to you — checking up on you, or just lending their small time to connect with you once again. Especially now that people get so easily distracted with their agendas, and locking themselves in solitary spaces, it is safe to say that the reality is, unfortunately, pulling us away from genuine connections. Specifically, with the harms brought by technology, reaching out to people became uncomfortable for some people.

Realistically, people tend to remember a person who asks them if everything is okay, even if he/she hasn’t told them that anything is wrong. Again, taking the initiative to reach out is an A+ move in establishing a good rapport in a network of people, thus securing a healthier environment for your relationships to thrive.

Take It Easy

Building strong relationships and connections are investments for the soul that when the time comes, you can have people grab you by the hand and pull you up, or you offer them your time as a sign of help and comfort. Strong connections aren’t created in a snap— you have to work on them. Taking it slowly gives you time to discover more of the things you want to learn from people and eventually gives you long-term stability in your relationship.

Humans are social beings — there is a need to communicate and build connections to be able to keep up with the times. Even in science, Abraham Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs proved that connection through achieving a sense of belongingness is a crucial element in achieving a healthier state of mind.

Ultimately, strong connections in your personal or career life create a strong foundation for your growth as a person.