What can a World Cup teach us about mental health?

Today is game day (in brazil. LOL!).

Even people who don't follow football have probably noticed something different in the air today.

The TV is on at the neighbor's house. Families are gathering. Friends are deciding where to watch the match. People are wearing the same jersey. Cheers echo through open windows. Strangers hug each other after a goal.

It's fascinating how, for a few moments, so many people become connected by the same experience.

Maybe football isn't the most important part.

Maybe it's the opportunity to experience something together.

We live in a time when staying connected has never been easier.

And yet, feeling lonely has never been so common.

In my therapy practice, I often hear people say:

"I actually enjoy being alone..."

But almost immediately, they add:

"I just wish I had someone to go out with on weekends."

Or:

"I miss having close friends."

These two things can exist at the same time.

Some people are naturally more introverted. They recharge in solitude and genuinely enjoy quiet moments. There is nothing wrong with that.

The suffering begins when solitude stops being a choice and becomes a consequence.

When being alone no longer brings peace, but emptiness.

Because no matter how independent we are, we are still human beings.

And human beings are wired for connection.

Not just to talk.

But to laugh together.

To disagree.

To feel heard.

To know someone remembers us.

To look someone in the eyes and realize that, for a little while, there's a place where we don't have to face life alone.

It's interesting to think that almost everything we discover about ourselves happens in relationships.

We discover our boundaries when someone crosses them.

We discover our courage when someone believes in us.

We discover our capacity to love when we find someone to love.

Even our insecurities often reveal themselves in the presence of others.

It is through connection that we come to know ourselves.

Perhaps that's one of the reasons therapy works.

Because therapy is also a relationship.

A space where someone approaches your story with curiosity, respect, and genuine presence.

And little by little, you begin to notice parts of yourself that you might never have seen on your own.

Maybe that's the true value of human connection.

It doesn't exist only to keep us company.

It helps us discover who we are.

So today, while so many people celebrate, cheer, suffer, and celebrate together because of a game, perhaps it's worth asking yourself a different question:

Who are you sharing your life with?

Because, in the end, it's the moments we share - big or small - that give meaning to our journey.

And if you've been feeling lonely lately, it doesn't necessarily mean there's something wrong with you.

Maybe it's simply a reminder that beneath all of our differences, we still share the same fundamental human need: To belong.

And sometimes, all it takes is taking that first step toward someone.