TOPIC

Belonging



The need to feel like we belong is one of our strongest psychological needs. “Belonging” makes us feel accepted, appreciated, welcomed, valued, secure, and safe. We often center our identities around being members of communities where we feel the strongest sense of belonging, whether those communities revolve around family groups, geography, interests, goals, or shared experiences. Feeling like we don’t belong has deep emotional repercussions that can lead to feelings of isolation, disconnection, anxiety, depression, and insecurity, and even lead to physiological stress. However, we also have the ability to give others a sense of belonging. When we practice compassion, acceptance, and nonjudgment, we have the power to create communities for ourselves.

FindCenter Video Image

On Belonging: What Is Behind Our Psychological Need to Belong?

Much of human behavior, thought, and emotion stems from our psychological need to belong. In psychologist Christopher Peterson’s words, other people matter.

FindCenter AddIcon
FindCenter Video Image

FindCenterOur society may praise being above the influence of others, but we cannot separate ourselves from our social instincts.

FindCenter AddIcon
FindCenter Video Image

Belonging: Overcome Your Inner Critic and Reclaim Your Joy

Accepting ourselves requires less work, less achieving and less doing than one might think. The path to greater happiness, greater contentment, and greater self-love is the basis for Catherine A. Wood’s debut book, Belonging: Overcome Your Inner Critic and Reclaim Your Joy.

FindCenter AddIcon
FindCenter Video Image

Belongingness: Essential Bridges that Support the Self

Recent research is establishing the critical nature of social belongingness.

FindCenter AddIcon
FindCenter Video Image

The Art of Community: Seven Principles for Belonging

Strong cultures help people support one another, share their passions, and achieve big goals. And such cultures of belonging aren’t just happy accidents - they can be purposefully cultivated, whether they’re in a company, a faith institution or among friends and enthusiasts.

FindCenter AddIcon
FindCenter Video Image

FindCenterYou are here, now, because you have been loved forward. If not by fellow humans, then surely by Grace itself. That we are here means we are wanted here. It means we belong here. It is our life’s work to uncover why.

FindCenter AddIcon
FindCenter Video Image

8 Steps to Create a Sense of Belonging in Life

We all crave a sense of belonging, whether we realize it or not. Whether it’s at social gatherings, at work, or in our families, we want to feel accepted and comfortable.

FindCenter AddIcon
FindCenter Video Image

Belonging: Remembering Ourselves Home

Feel like you don’t belong? You’re not alone.The world has never been more connected, yet people are lonelier than ever. Whether we feel unworthy, alienated, or anxious about our place in the world — the absence of belonging is the great silent wound of our times.

FindCenter AddIcon
FindCenter Video Image

4 Steps to Achieve a Sense of Belonging

Through the years, I have learned ways to manage these people-pleasing tendencies, and feel more like myself. Here are four tips — if you find yourself feeling lonely — to achieve a greater sense of belonging.

FindCenter AddIcon
FindCenter Video Image

FindCenterWhen we create a life based on what we think we are supposed to do rather than from our own heart’s desire, we always feel like something is missing, that we are not quite free.

FindCenter AddIcon

WHAT MIGHT HELP

FindCenter AlertIcon

The information offered here is not a substitute for professional advice. Please proceed with care and caution.

UP NEXT

BIPOC Well-Being