Amy Young, a Lecturer of Business Communication, shares the powerful impact we can have on others by simply offering a greeting. Saying hello to others offers them access to a sense of belonging, especially when done with intentional warmth and welcome. Saying hello creates a network effort where everyone around us benefits from more of those high quality connections that help us thrive.

Your practice: Send three hellos

To extend the power of greeting, and help physical distancing not become social distancing, start the day by sending a good morning text to three people. It’ll be easiest if you pair this with something you always do, like brush your teeth or drink your coffee. The message can be short and simple, “Thinking of you!” And when you’ve run through your closest people, don’t hesitate to repeat or reach to the further parts of your network, like a friend you haven’t connected with in a while.