Whether you are a football fan or not, most of us will be engaged to some degree in England’s World Cup match this weekend. We wish them luck.

There is something rather special about collective and shared experiences on a mass level. We may not realise it, but watching something in a big crowd or as part of a group has huge benefits for our wellbeing and health; and that doesn’t just come from a positive outcome. With a negative outcome, we have a shared experience of understanding and the opportunity to process and recover with others – plus a sense of solidarity. With a positive outcome, we have the benefits of cumulative joy, a sense of belonging and bonding whereby our relationships become stronger through shared experience.

Science backs this up, and not just when it comes to our mental or emotional health, but also our physical experience. In one study, world class rowing teams exercised either solo or as a group, and results showed that the threshold the group rowers experienced pain at was twice as high as the solo rowers. Another study, focused on specific shared physical movements in a rugby team, found that when the team warmed up using moves that were synchronised, their sprint run rate was faster.

What is behind this, and how can we squeeze as much benefit out of it as possible? The fundamental principle behind these benefits is the idea of collective emotion; the shared emotional state or response experienced by a group of people. When feelings like sadness or joy or excitement are aligned among a group of people, they can have even more of a powerful impact than if experienced individually.

But, big events like England being in the World Cup quarter finals don’t happen that often, so how do we translate this science into something tangible and use it in our everyday lives? Here are some strategies that we can use to harness collective emotions.

A sense of belonging is good for your health (Photo: Jordi Mora igual/Getty)

Group identity

Science tells us that a sense of belonging is one of the fundamental jigsaw pieces for our health, and being part of a group identity is one way to get that. That might be from the company you work for, the sports team you follow, a fan group for a specific musical artist, or your family unit. Stop and reflect about your own life and list all of the group identities you have or that you may have the opportunity to create. It may be as simple as creating a monthly event with a group of friends where you watch a film, or joining an online forum to chat about a hobby you are interested in, or joining a club where they do something you feel excited about.

Collective effervescence

This is a feeling of extremely strong connection to other people, and often occurs when we feel something bigger than ourselves is happening. It can happen in any big event or arena, or classically when we are part of a ritual or shared action, like at a religious ceremony for example. Think about the kinds of moments you could create in your own life that could mirror this; it might be a moment in a yoga class when you are all synchronised in a breathing exercise, it could be during a wedding or faith service when there are high intensity feelings, or it could be a small moment you share with your family that has become a special ritual which brings you together.

Collective action

Shared emotion can also motivate us to take action. When we feel something is unjust or that someone deserves to be praised, we are more likely to take action if other people feel the same way – and often those actions can be even more powerful in their impact. Collective action can help us feel like we have some autonomy, that we have a sense of agency and empowerment, and experiencing all of these feelings, improves our self-esteem and sense of hope. Think and talk with others about what you care about, what needs to change, or what needs to be celebrated, and create those small and simple collective actions together to make it happen.