#46 What if I don’t belong?
What if I don’t belong?
Think back to your first days at university – do you remembering wondering if you fit in?
Belonging uncertainty refers to the state of mind in which we doubt whether we are fully accepted in a particular environment. We might feel this at a social event, in our first weeks in a new job, or perhaps most commonly, as children and adolescents in school.
As Psychologist Geoffrey Cohen describes in this insight-packed video, feeling that we belong is critical to our health, motivation, and performance. On the other hand, Cohen explains, “The experience of exclusion activates the same regions of the brain associated with the experience of physical pain. Exclusion hurts.”
While Cohen highlights that structural reform is paramount to dismantling systemic bias, there are also proven methods teachers, parents, and leaders can apply to promote belonging, including:
Expressing belief in potential
Sharing personal stories
Affirming one’s values