{"id":84,"date":"2020-12-10T09:30:00","date_gmt":"2020-12-10T09:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/daretotransform\/?p=84"},"modified":"2026-03-26T10:44:18","modified_gmt":"2026-03-26T10:44:18","slug":"guest-post-how-to-create-connection-in-challenging-times-by-jenni-rose","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/learning-matters\/2020\/12\/10\/guest-post-how-to-create-connection-in-challenging-times-by-jenni-rose\/","title":{"rendered":"Guest Post – How to create connection in challenging times"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"Jenni<\/figure>
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Jenni Rose, <\/em>
Lecturer, <\/em>
University of Manchester.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The main focus of Jenni\u2019s teaching is in auditing, financial reporting and financial statement analysis, as well as on the MBA at the University of Manchester. Much of the strength of her teaching comes from developing innovative and creative teaching and learning techniques to increase student engagement, including using the flipped classroom approach and researching efficient teaching excellence.<\/em>
P<\/em><\/a>rofile page on University of Manchester website.<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

How to Create Connection in Challenging Times<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

There is no doubt that it is more difficult than usual to create connection during a pandemic, when much of our lives are lived online and we are unable to be in large groups of strangers or with those we love. You might be feeling anxious about missing out on marking important occasions or unsure how to make create the connections we need as social creatures.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To frame your reflection on this, you can first focus on starting where we are, then we using what we do have, and moving into doing what we can.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To \u2018start where you are\u2019 consider what connection means to you \u2013 does it mean that deep life long friendship connection or the smaller connections we have with strangers in random situations. What kind of connections do you value? How do you feel after you\u2019ve made a good connection with someone? There is plenty of research on the benefits of connection, 50% increased chance of longevity (Holt-Lunstad, Smith, Layton, 2010<\/a>), lower levels of anxiety and depression (Sepp\u00e4l\u00e4, 2020<\/a>), higher self esteem and greater empathy (Sepp\u00e4l\u00e4, 2020<\/a>). But what are your own personal benefits of strong connections?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bren\u00e9 Brown (2010<\/a>) is famous for talking about the power of vulnerability and the sense of connection you feel to someone is often in line with the vulnerability you show to the other person. This takes courage and risks being hurt but can really help with connection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A final benefit for those who are teaching or learning (or both!) is Michael Cole\u2019s (1996<\/a>) theory that learning is a social and cultural process. Besides the obvious benefits of keeping track of deadline and company from someone going through the same process as you, there are also benefits of accelerated learning for students who have strong connections to peers (Gowing, 2019<\/a>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So practically what can we use to feel connection? First, we need to take a look at what we have control over \u2013 we only have control over our behaviour, our reactions and what we focus on. Have a look at this video which talks about the circle of control.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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