These 10 tips can make any interaction more meaningful
Clinically reviewed by Dr. Chris Mosunic, PhD, RD, MBA
Looking to feel more connected? Learn how to create more meaningful interactions with 10 simple tips that bring more depth, presence, and care into daily conversations.
When you’re juggling work, errands, play dates, and exercise, it can be easy for your conversations to slowly turn into a lot of “LOLs”, “Okay, sounds good!” and emoji tapbacks.
This might feel economical in the moment, but over time, it can leave you feeling like you’re not really connecting with people anymore. Or like you’re just talking at people instead of with people.
If you’re currently feeling like your conversations are stuck on autopilot, you’re not alone. A lot of us fall victim to scripted and surface-level talks. But there are simple ways to make our interactions more meaningful without having to bare our souls.
Here’s how you can connect more and bring a little more presence into your everyday interactions. Let’s slow down and get into it — one talk, walk, or hang at a time.
What makes an interaction meaningful?
Many of us think that in order to have a meaningful interaction, we need to have a deep and emotional talk. And sure, that's one way to do it, but a meaningful connection could also be a simple conversation that left you feeling a little more human. Or a nonverbal interaction—like playing a game, hiking, walking, boating, or even hugging—where you shared a real connection with those around you.
Meaningful interactions are exchanges that shift something in you. They make you feel a little more connected and seen. It’s that moment when someone asks how you’re doing, and it’s clear they actually want to hear the answer.
If a friend texts you something oddly specific and it hits like a warm hug, that’s a meaningful interaction. If you lock eyes with your partner while reading next to each other and give a tiny squeeze, that’s also a meaningful interaction.
These exchanges happen when you slow down long enough to notice each other, feel safe enough to drop the pretenses, and are able to be yourself. If you want more meaning in your interactions, bring more presence to your exchanges.
They don’t have to be long or even frequent. All they have to be is genuine and intentional.
Why meaningful interactions matter
To put it simply, meaningful interactions matter because they can connect us to each other and make us feel less alone.
These connections aren't a magic cure-all, but they can help us cope with everything that life throws at us. When you have even one conversation where you feel genuinely seen or understood, it anchors and resets you. Plus, it also reminds you that you’re human, just like everyone else.
Most importantly, we need meaningful connections. These genuine moments can actually soothe our systems, boost our moods, and strengthen our relationships. They bring us back to ourselves and help prevent us from burning out.
Tiny moments of presence and care have the ability to shift the emotional tone of your day, and who doesn’t want that?
6 benefits of meaningful interactions
When everything feels like it’s not going your way, a single meaningful interaction can help hold you together. These exchanges keep you sane and remind you to keep going.
Here are six real-deal benefits a meaningful connection can have on you:
1. They regulate your stress: Even five minutes of being met with empathy or shared laughter can calm your nervous system. You can feel your shoulders drop, your jaw unclench, and your breath slow down.
2. They boost your mood: Being seen or heard can give you that mental reset you need to feel like yourself again.
3. They build stronger, steadier relationships: Meaningful interactions help you feel closer to your romantic, platonic, familial, and even professional relationships. They build trust and say, “We’ve got each other.”
4. They remind you who you are beneath the chaos: When someone reflects you back to yourself, it grounds you. Plus, a true connection can remind you just how funny you are.
5. They reduce loneliness: You can be in a room full of people and still feel like no one’s really with you. But a single moment of genuine connection can cut through the fog and make you feel less alone.
6. They give life a sense of depth: Real connections add texture to your life. They remind you that you’re not just a walking to-do list, you’re a three-dimensional person.
How to have more meaningful interactions: 10 tips to help you connect
Meaningful interactions are a lifeline that can actually help you function better. But this doesn’t mean you have to transform every talk or activity you have into a feelings-fest in order to feel good.
Some small shifts are all you need to start to have more meaningful interactions. Here are 12 tips that can bring more connection into your everyday moments.
1. Pause before you speak
Before starting a convo or texting someone, take a breath. Ask yourself what you actually want to bring to this interaction. Intention can go a long way toward making even a small chat feel more grounded and real.
💙 Take a moment for A Purposeful Pause with Jay Shetty before you head into an interaction.
2. Ditch the autopilot questions
Instead of asking the standard “How are you?” — try something more specific. You could say:
“What’s been your favorite part of your day so far?”
“What’s something that surprised you this weekend?”
“How are you really feeling about [that thing they mentioned last week]?”
3. Practice generous attention
Put down your phone and make eye contact when you talk to someone. Generous attention is rare these days and can be incredibly powerful. People remember when they felt truly listened to and seen.
You can practice giving generous attention even when no one is speaking. Being open to another person while you walk, read together, or even co-work can also carry meaning.
Be the person who gives the gift of your attention.
4. Share a little more than you usually would
Don’t confuse “meaningful” with “oversharing,” but try opening up first. This can invite the other person to show up a little more honestly as well.
Instead of saying: “Yeah, work’s been a lot.”
Try saying: “Honestly, I’m kind of running on fumes this week. But I’m managing.”
5. Reflect instead of fixing
When someone shares something tough, resist the urge to immediately fix it. Sometimes, holding space is more meaningful than having answers.
Here’s some solidarity you can offer:
“That sounds like a lot. How are you holding up?”
“I can imagine that’s been exhausting. Thanks for telling me.”
6. Create “pockets” for real talk
Not every setting is right for deep chats, but you can create little pockets for more real talk when it applies.
Try walking instead of sitting across a table from your friend. You could also start a standing check-in with your partner where you ask something like, “Tell me one high, one low, and one weird thing from today.”
(Here are seven other tips that can help improve your communication with your partner.)
7. Embrace the awkward
Many times, meaningful moments happen on the other side of awkward. Silence isn’t a failure, and vulnerability isn’t too much.
Saying, “I don’t really know how to talk about this, but I want to try,” can be the start of something honest and real. Give yourself permission to make mistakes.
8. Notice and name what you appreciate
Saying things out loud that you appreciate about people in your life matters more than you think. Don’t wait for the perfect moment to tell them. If you love the way your friend always remembers birthdays, tell them. This can make their day, and yours too.
9. Don’t underestimate micro-connections
Not every meaningful interaction has to be a huge connection. A sweet exchange with your barista, a thoughtful work email, and a nod of solidarity with a stranger at the grocery store can all make you feel more seen and heard.
💙 Build more meaningful moments into your day by listening to Connection with Tamara Levitt.
10. Be where your feet are
Be present. It sounds simple, but it's an important way to stay connected in all your interactions, both verbal and non-verbal. If your mind’s somewhere else, then the interaction will feel disconnected. Try grounding yourself during an exchange by asking these questions, like:
How do I feel right now?
What are they trying to communicate to me?
How can I show up for this person?
Meaningful interaction FAQs
What are meaningful interactions??
Meaningful interactions are those moments where you feel something shift in you afterwards. Many of us think that meaningful interactions have to be deep, but actually, some of the most powerful ones are subtle.
A talk where you felt truly heard or a quiet moment of connection with a stranger on the street can both be meaningful. These interactions remind you that you’re a human who has real feelings.
If you want to have more meaningful interactions, try to be present, caring, and honest with whoever you interact with. Here are nine tips to help you practice being more present.
Can I make any interaction more meaningful?
A good way to infuse more meaning into your interactions is to be a little more present and intentional. Also when you’re talking to someone, slow down and really listen.
Additionally, instead of defaulting to polite autopilot, make your conversations more curious and caring. One easy switch you could make is to say, “What’s something that’s exciting you right now?” instead of “How are you?”
What if the other person doesn’t seem interested in connecting?
Some people are going to be distracted, closed off, or just not in the mood. If that’s the case, that’s okay. You can’t control the other person. All you can control is your side of the street.
Show up with openness and sincerity, and plant seeds. Some people will meet you there, and some won’t. Leading with care and presence still can make the experience meaningful for you, even if the other person keeps it more surface-level.
How do I know if a conversation is meaningful?
You’ll most likely feel it in your gut if an interaction’s more meaningful. Maybe you’ll leave the conversation feeling lighter or more grounded. Maybe you’ll simply feel more like yourself.
If you felt present, connected, or seen—or helped someone else feel that way— then it was meaningful.
Is it okay to keep some conversations light and casual?
It’s totally okay to keep conversations light and casual. Not every moment needs to be deep. Sometimes the most compassionate thing you can do for yourself and for someone else is to keep it light. Plus, many times, banter, humor, and harmless distractions can feed the soul.
You’re allowed to choose levity and avoid depth if you feel uncomfortable, or if the situation isn’t right for it. Real connection is about being genuine in the moment, and sometimes honesty is, “Hey, let’s talk about the funniest thing we saw on the internet yesterday.”
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