Life today is busier than ever before. Between work, school, family, kids, sports, hobbies—you name it—it can be easy to leave no time in the day for actual human interaction. In Reno, we see these statistics play out every day. Young professionals who have moved here from school or chose to relocate (alone) from another city or state and spend the majority of their day—and night—focused on climbing to the next rung of the corporate ladder. Or perhaps it’s the young family that stays so busy with the general pressures of raising young children that they simply haven’t had the opportunity to get out, meet people, and build relationships.

Whatever the specific case may be, this separation is not what we were created for. God did not create humans to live in isolation, and quite frankly, there is no reason to live life alone. Especially not here in Reno. There are some rather simple yet effective changes anyone can make in their daily lives to stop the isolation and build relationships that will last a lifetime.

Prioritize Relationships
It’s easy to get bogged down in the day to day of life—those things we feel we must get done each and every day. We get so bogged down, in fact, that we have no time for anything else. But the reality is, we all have time for the things we want to have time for. Prioritize time in your week to build and foster relationships with others. We all must make a conscious effort to build that time into our calendar, even if it’s a short window of time to simply meet a friend to catch up over coffee.

Learn to Say No
In learning to prioritize relationships, we also must learn to prioritize our activities. And here’s a secret: it’s OK to say no. We don’t have to be involved in everything. In fact, it’s incredibly hard to give your best to something if you’re spreading yourself too thin amongst too many activities. Put some time into strategically thinking about activities that don’t line up with your goals and then say no to them—this leaves so much more time for the things you should say yes to.

Be Vulnerable
It’s one of the hardest things to do as a human. But opening up to others and letting them actually get a glimpse of who you really are is actually a way to build relationships. Stop and consider: how do you invite people into your world? Are you welcoming and kind? Or are you shut off and seemingly uninterested? For some, especially those who struggle with anxiety, it can be hard to show vulnerability and a willingness to open up, but it’s worth it.

Looking for your next step in connecting with others and building relationships? We can help. We offer a variety of Life Groups—small groups that meet throughout the week all around Reno. They are a great way to begin to get to know others and build a community. Not quite ready for that? Perhaps visit one of our service one Sunday. We’d love a chance to get to know you.