Episode 25: The Power of a High Five

You'd be surprised how well it works...

I love a good high five. I started doing them actively and intentionally in the last few years as my kids got older as a way to greet my kids’ friends. I will never assume that a kid wants to give out hugs, so I’ve always offered a high five as an alternative.

Within my everyday adult life, I’ve incorporated high fives without even realizing it. When we would launch a new collection at Oh Joy, I’d high-five my team as I walked into the office on those extra special mornings. On match days for my adult tennis league, I pass high fives all around to get everyone excited and ready to go for their matches.

What is it about the high five that just feels so damn good?

After 2-3 years of pandemic living where we were taught to have limited contact with one another, the high five gives us contact with others in a very simple way. We’re connecting with another person (even if for only a few seconds) to say:

I acknowledge your presence, and I’m happy you’re here.
I’m making eye contact with you, and we’re connecting (in a non-creepy way).
I’m here for you.
I’m excited for what’s to happen next.
I’m proud of you for what you did or what you’re about to do.
I believe in you in this moment and in the future.
We’re in this together.

It’s kind of crazy that a simple gesture can say so much, right?

Here are 4 Great Things About High Fives:
1. It says so many things to another person without having to say any words at all.
2. If you put one out there, the other person always returns it (whether they saw it coming or not).
3. It works as a one-time occurrence or multiple times within an interaction (like during a game or match). You can rarely do it too much. :)
4. It almost always turns a frown upside down!

What do you think? Does this sound like nonsense? Or magic?

Thank you so much for being here and subscribing to Crazy. Mad. Joy. Whether you’re new to my work or a long time supporter, I appreciate you so much! While this episode is for all subscribers, a paid subscription helps support the love of writing and sharing I am able to do here and keeps it ad-free. And, if you like what you’re reading, please consider sharing with others and encouraging them to subscribe, too.

Muppets High Five image created by me with Midjourney AI.