In a Fast Company article on human resilience, the Journal Of Happiness Studies reports that post-Katrina women returned to their baseline happiness levels over the next few years following their staggering losses of family members, houses and security. The only ones who didn't were the ones who didn't have the critical advantage of social connections following the disaster.
As we know, connection is absolutely core to happiness. This is now further supported by evidence that lack of quality connections is at the root of addiction, violence and all manner of psychology challenges.
It's incredibly coincidental that this study comes out when Nepal is now digging out from under the disaster they are unpredpared for even though we now know it was expected by experts. We will see another dramatic and significant chapter in human resilience.
The call to action is that, parallel to structural preparation for potential disruptions and disasters, we have a vital, if not moral, obligation to keep connecting communities.