We find ourselves in a time when it has become increasingly challenging to ignore the elephant in the room - that is the state of the world and our country. For some time now, it has been a commonplace experience for many of us to wake up to yet another breaking news headline that often has our jaws on the floor and leaves us feeling quite vulnerable and heavy inside. Ironically, a lot of us sometimes find ourselves unable to stop the infamous doomscrolling (repeated, compulsive, algorithmic content consumption) and put our devices aside. It’s a vicious cycle.

We may not have the ability to click a button or to snap our fingers to enact the change that will bring us relief or a renewed sense of safety and security, but we can change how we engage with the content presented to us in a way that does not lead to existential dread, helplessness, and hopelessness about our current sociopolitical circumstances.

When we think of our current relationships, we may often wonder why we feel safe and connected in some, but in others, we feel anxious or distant. Sound familiar? This idea of the way we connect, or sometimes struggle to connect, with others often traces back to a concept known as attachment styles. These patterns are how we relate to others in society, influenced early in our childhood, that continue to shape our relationships within adulthood.

The good news you ask? Having some clarity of your attachment style can not only help you build healthier connections, but also feel more empowered in your relationships and shift away from generational patterns.