If there's one thing this pandemic has taught us, it's the importance of human bonding. If we were to think back on the last year, I am sure that most of our thoughts would be about the social bonding opportunities we yearned for.

We are built this way from the start. We have this need from birth to make emotional connections, as it is crucial for us to feel needed somewhere.

Just born babies have an inbuilt need to create emotional attachments to increase their chances of survival by ensuring that they receive the care they need. Of all human bonds, the maternal bond: the bond between a mother and her child is one of the strongest.

The maternal bond begins to develop during pregnancy. After the child’s birth, the early postpartum maternal bond develops through touch, response, and mutual gazing.

According to Neurobiologists, humans release hormones during pregnancy and labor, which are associated with maternal bonding. But the paternal bond, the bond between a father and his offspring, is built throughout a child's development in terms of strength and stability. Humans can also form bonds with other species and things that are not of their kind.

When it comes to pets, kids form bonds with them which last throughout their lifetime as they provide them with a significant amount of love, joy, affection. Friendship offers companionship, affection, and emotional support and contributes to mental well-being.

But human interaction is not easy for everyone. Some of us only feel safe confiding in those who are close to us. Due to their introverted nature, some people prefer to feel connected to their family and a few close friends.

They would find it challenging to form meaningful bonds with others. The lack of strong, supportive bonds with other people causes emotional loneliness. So spending time with our loved ones can help us overcome our feelings of self-doubt or anxiety.

So, the next time you have the opportunity to interact with your loved ones, make the most out of it so that you can recollect those memories to cheer you up later on.

Why Do We Feel The Need To Bond?