Who do you confide in?
We know that the size of someone’s network of confidantes correlates with their ability to effectively manage stress.
The more people we feel we can trust and share our challenges and successes with, the less likely we are to become derailed, stressed out or stuck in problems.
While of course the quality of each relationship is important, so too is the quantity. And unfortunately, in the last 20 years or so, the numbers have been declining. We seem to be confiding in about half as many people as we used to.
This could be explained in part by higher levels of divorce, so losing your closest ally – your spouse. Perhaps because of transient career portfolios, we are only creating superficial relationships at work.
It is also, ironically, suggested that the increased use of internet social communities, which are at best arms-length communication, give us a false sense of camaraderie. While we are at home typing away on the keyboard, we are not out making new friends or deepening existing relationships in a face-to-face way.
Action – How many confidantes do you have? And how might you go about doubling that number?