Community Living
Community living is an essential part of life. It’s about having a place where you feel safe and comfortable. It’s about having people who have your back and can be there for you in good and bad times.
Community makes us feel connected to the world; it should be the place we live and our local neighbourhood, whether in a village, town or city.
This blog highlights the benefits of community and community living. So what could you do to connect with your neighbours? Or, as many people worldwide have done, start a new neighbourhood by building one.
What does community living mean?
As important as knowing where you fit in, the feeling of being accepted for who you are is equally important. A community means living where you feel comfortable being authentic and sharing your genuine thoughts and feelings with others. These interactions will help create meaningful connections with friends and other community members, which can lead to positive changes in your life.
Community building takes time, but also about taking one step at a time—such as getting involved in local events or talking with neighbours. You can build relationships that will ultimately create strong communities within neighbourhoods. To start with, you could open your doors and invite everyone for a cup of tea or a drink, to get to know each other. No other agenda is needed.
Community is a support network that will have your back.
Finding answers and advice is much easier when you’re part of a community. You can rely on the people in your neighbourhood for help when making big decisions or needing support.
The more we get to know one another, the more likely we will reach out when someone needs help.
When we are vulnerable and ask for help, our communities respond with compassion and generosity. We learn how much we can trust others with our struggles, which makes us more comfortable reaching out again when needed. But this also creates a two-way street. People will feel comfortable contacting you when they need something.
In addition to giving us support during difficult times, being part of a community also provides us with an outlet for celebrating the positive aspects of life: developing new friendships; creating opportunities for growth through volunteering; connecting with others who share similar interests, or click over specific problems that might be affecting them – it means people don’t feel so alone.
Being part of a neighbourhood community is good for your mental health and emotional well-being.
Connection with other human beings is life. So we must interact and create safe spaces for people to knock around or shout up when they need something. Being part of a neighbourhood community is good for your mental health and emotional well-being. That’s a scientific fact!
Feeling like you belong in your community can help you feel more connected with others and make you feel like you have a purpose in that community. Feeling related to others can also make it easier to express who you are and share what’s important to you without hiding or feeling judged. And when people share the same values about things like honesty or leadership skills, they can build trust that lasts over time.
Community living is about having people with who you can enjoy the time, like meals and celebrations.
Community is about having people with who you can enjoy the time, like meals and celebrations, no matter what happens. Community is about sharing food and meals together. It is such a positive way to break down barriers and stay connected. It’s a way of life that brings people together through shared experiences and celebrations.
Regular meet-ups centred around food and drink celebrate your life in the community.
Community is about recognising what problems exist locally and working on them together.
Community is about recognising what problems exist locally and working on them together. This is often done by creating a meaningful project to work on. This can be literally anything. Cleaning up of litter, all contributing to safer streets, fewer cars, the list is endless as it is specific to your community and what is happening.
Community building means making things happen in your neighbourhood – whether organising a street party or planting fruit trees in the park. It might sound like hard work at first, but if everyone pitches in, we can make great things happen for our communities too!
Community is about contributing to a bigger purpose connected to the world.
Your community is part of the wider society. So you don’t need to lock yourself away and only focus on your problems. Instead, you can contribute to a bigger purpose connected to the world by making things better where you live, which is likely to have a knock-on effect. We are all connected, after all.
Community living is about making a difference in your neighbourhood and our world.
This means that:
- You help each other out when it’s needed.
- You share resources with others – like tools or skills
- You support each other in times of need
- You work together towards common goals
- You connect to more significant projects that help your city, region or country.
- Conclusion
- Remember: no matter where you are in life, there’s always room for growth, and why not start with your neighbours and those closest to you.
- If you’re lonely or isolated – say hello to those around you, and see if there is anyone else in the same boat as you. Then together you can start to help each other and then help others.
- If this sounds like a big task, it’s one we can help you with. We help people connect to projects looking to build new Cohousing communities and support neighbourhood development in many ways.
- Start from the comfort of your own home by doing the Better Places to Live quiz now.
What can you do to improve your life and your community?
The first step is to take our 1 minute quiz. Simply answer 9 questions to see if you need a Better Place To Live.
You’ll be scored on the following; A home that meets your needs, a community and neighbourhood that works with your day-to-day life and is friendly to the earth.
Help to spread the word about Cohousing, Better Places to Live and creating A Fairer Society.
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