The long winter weather is finally thawing and with it the incredible gold rush of medals from our Olympic athletes!  We have been so proud of team Australia giving it their absolute all in Paris this year.  Whether they’ve made the podium (looking at you Jess Fox) or been in the running for a medal (we feel you Matildas) or simply made the Aussie team. It’s been inspiring to watch the world’s best give it everything in the spirit of sharing with the international community.  Now we can’t wait for the Paralympians to grace the world’s stage.

What is one of the things we love the best about the Olympic Games? The common bond of humanity.
The Olympics can serve as a powerful catalyst for community building, creating lasting legacies that benefit both local and global communities.  Our favourites stories so far include the Olympic fencer from Egypt who competed while being 7 months pregnant, and the 12,000 donors who crowdfunded the dreams of Australian athletes, or just this awesome photo of the Rugby 7s women happily mixing New Zealand, Canadian and USA teams.

The need for community ties and more involvement has a range of benefits for everyone.  Engaging in our local community adds purpose and joy to our lives.

Absence of social connections can have profound effects on our overall health.  I’m sure we all remember that during the COVID-19 pandemic how lonely it could be without the daily interaction with a variety of different people.

Communities are inherently about relationships with others and a feeling of connectedness.  Here are five reasons why it’s good to be a part of your local community, whether that’s a local sports team, religious group or simply enjoying your neighbour’s company.

Five reasons to find your community

1. Fostering Connections and Belonging: Developing relationships within the community leads to better social outcomes, less loneliness and people feel more valued about their contribution.

2. More sustainable: there’s evidence that stronger communities share resources better, recycle items more efficiently and have lower food miles.

3. Safer: There are high levels of trust and psychological safety in which people know others will have their backs. Communities take care of their members and vice versa—because they are invested in the collective success of the group.

4. Stress relief: Communities can be fun! Coming together with others, finding points of connection with others and camaraderie leave us feeling engaged and refreshed. Hello endorphins! These positive feelings can help lower stress and anxiety.

5. Philanthropy: how many times have you seen the local hardware shop sponsoring a netball or football trivia night? Or is selling chocolates on behalf of someone else? Local people are more likely to support someone they know or are contributing to the overall wellbeing of the local community.

So find your people and make the time to stay in touch. Say hello to your neighbour. Send a quick note to someone you haven’t seen in a while or call a more distant acquaintance – it’s good for your health!