Let's face it, friends. Many people today have become overtly disconnected from real life. Everything is drowned out by social media, photos, videos, reels, tik toks, YouTube videos and so on.
The average American spends the same amount of time it would take them to work a part time job every week on various social media platforms according to the most recent data. Some people spend a lot more time than that scrolling, and watching meaningless content, which means, they're spending less time creating and building important social connections with people in real life.
We know that it's scientific fact that friendships and spending time with friends increases our sense of belonging, improves our self-confidence and helps reduce stress and anxiety. Having strong social connections can even have a positive impact on the immune system! Experiencing these real life social connections is so important to our mental health, and as a result, our physical health too.
Research has shown that the psychological and physical health benefits of social contact are so immense that they can even outweigh the harmful effects of certain risk factors and can boost life expectancy.
So, what happens to those individuals who have become isolated from real life social interactions? Is it any wonder that depression and anxiety are so common, even among our youth today?
While social media tries to convince us that we have countless so called "friends", we also know that the majority of the people we connect with on social media are not actual real life friendships or social connections that we have sown time, love and effort into.
Making these face to face social connections, smiling at each other, having friendly conversations with each other, laughing together, having a sense of community around us and people who we know that we can trust and rely on is the foundation of any healthy community.
I genuinely fear for our younger generations who have grown up on Tik Tok instead of experiencing childhood by jumping on a bike on a sunny Saturday morning and making new friends at the park like we did when we were kids.
Our relationships impact so many facets of our everyday lives, and are essential to our longevity as individuals and a community as a whole.
This is only one reason why I love the business model of Dani Greens!
Dani Greens is not only benefiting the health of Yuba City, Marysville and Sutter residents by delivering fresh organic microgreens, but, I have the opportunity to make these social connections that are so meaningful to the people who live in our local communities as a delivery service.
It might seem menial to some people who will read this blog post, but I don't think it is.
Each week I am speaking to new people on social media who have questions about Dani Greens microgreens, but I'm not only making connections on social media. I am meeting the people of my local communities face to face. I am smiling at them, conversing with them, handing them a product that I grew with my hands and time, and so far, the results on my own health and wellness have been abundant!
I have absolutely enjoyed every moment of delivering microgreens to Dani Greens customers, and for some customers, that's every single week.
So many things in today's world have become automated and have therefore limited these vital social interactions. Just one example is the self checkout line at the grocery store.
Is it convenient? Yes. Does it save time? Yes. Does it cut out a now unnecessary job to give more time and attention to other responsibilities a business might have? Yes. Does it save businesses money? Yes.
But what it has also done is taken away those positive social interactions, that smile, the conversation with the cashier, and having a sense of community between one another that is so important for all of us to have each day.
Maybe convenience isn't so beneficial to mankind in the long run, after all? Maybe cutting out what is unnecessary considering today's technology might lead to the disconnected community life of neighbors who don't take the time to stop and smile, give someone a hug, and just to be there in small ways for one another, even if it's only a little green bag from a microgreens delivery to your front porch?
Can a microgreens delivery service really have a positive impact on its local communities? Can it impact the mental health of its customers? Can it contribute to building healthier communities, not only in terms of the health benefits that are available from its microgreens, but by having a positive impact on social interactions and the mental health of its communities?
I think so, friends! Which means, it's maybe not so menial after all.
Can we please get back to the days of knocking on a neighbor's door for a cup of sugar? Or smiling at one another and saying "good morning" in passing? Can we get back to making the effort to make the important social connections within our local communities, that have a huge impact on our overall health and wellness? We all need them so immensely and I think sometimes, we fail to understand just how much that is.
Well, I can't promise that for others, they will take the time to connect with people or that they'll be intentional in passing.
But building healthier communities is only one goal of Dani Greens. My local communities and their health are important to Dani Greens. The communities that our children will grow up in…. That their children will grow up in! If we each make a small amount of effort to go out of our way, even if it means a little bit of inconvenience, to connect with one another, it could have a major impact on our communities and their future health.
I so look forward to each delivery that I make, to each new face that I get to see, for each smile that I have the opportunity to smile, for each bag that I get the opportunity to hand to my customers, and for each new friend that I get the chance to make, while being a trusted source of nutrition and maybe good mental health to my wonderful customers.
Dani Greens hopes that our future communities will be positively impacted by this small little business, owned by a single mama who lives a busy daily life. Taking the time means a little inconvenience, but the benefits won't only have the possibility to last one lifetime, but also for future generations to come!
If you'd like to place an order for weekly or every other week subscription for microgreens, I will grow them while putting all the love and care I can into doing that, I will harvest them, package them, and will bring them right to your door! Not only helping the physical health of your family, but maybe even having a positive impact on your family's mental health too. You can place your order here https://danigreens.com/
I would just love to get the chance to meet you. 😄