Mary’s Minute
“Impact
is rewarding. Mattering makes us happy.”
~ Daniel Gilbert
Mattering
matters. Feeling like we are special to
someone else is an important feeling that is linked to mental wellness. Gordon Flett dedicated an entire book this
topic in The Psychology of Mattering:
Understanding the Human Need to be Significant. One of his goals is to raise awareness about
the power of mattering so that we can devote more energy to ensuring that
people feel like they matter in order to enhance their lives.
Yesterday
I had the privilege of attending a virtual conference with 10 students. One of the speakers talked about the power of
mattering, which prompted a discussion among students about what made them feel
like they mattered and what made them feel like they didn’t matter.
The
simplicity of the things that made students feel like they mattered, stood out
to me. They said that when a teacher
noticed they were down and simply said, “Are you okay?” the student felt
connected and that they mattered. Inversely,
they noted that when they felt like an adult knew something was wrong and
didn’t say anything, the student felt ignored and unimportant.
Feeling
like we matter feels good to all of us, but it is more than that. While studies show experiencing mattering
increases a sense of self-worth and motivation, research also finds it reduces
the risk of severe depression and anxiety, and can save lives. Mattering changes brain activity and produces
serotonin. Mattering truly does matter!
I’ll
end this week by reminding you that YOU MATTER (and just for fun for our
scientists, unless you multiple yourself twice by the speed of light, and then
you are energy.)
Have a great week!
Mary
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