Micro Connections to Boost Your Spirit

I was on a walk listening to one of my favorite Podcasts, the Huberman Lab (Huberman, 2026). Andrew Huberman's guest was Dr. Nick Epley and they were discussing social connection and anxiety. They elaborated on a way to shift our perception of connection so that we can get micro doses to boost our spirit. The compliment you get in the elevator; reply. The checkout person asks how you are; tell them and genuinely ask how they are doing. While I was out for a walk and walking down a steep hill, I put my fist out for a fist bump to a runner running up the hill. I observed he took a deep breathe, put his head down and sped up. Yes, creating a deep bond and connection is important, and we can't always get our schedules to line up with our tribe.

In my office I often hear about patient's lack of connection. In our busy suburban lives we often don't have time to go out for lunch, take that drink with a friend, or spend a long time catching up. I hear the loneliness in the summer and certainly in the winter months. As we are in the season prior to Winter, it is the time to build spiritual resilience to possibly prevent as much lonliness affecting our body mind and spirits. As an acupuncturist, I see how this can manifest in muitple physical ways; shoulder or neck pain, wirst pain, GI upset, upper respiratory issues, skin conditions, brain fog, UTI like symptoms, tidal fevers (hot flashes), etc. You can come in for treatments, and aslso, you can treat yourself by smiling back at the person in the elevator.

You can check out the episode here.

Huberman, A. (Host). (2026, May 18). How to overcome social anxiety | Dr. Nick Epley [Audio podcast episode]. Huberman Lab.