Your Mind In The World Of Isolation
Imagine living in a world without social interactions, contacts, and relationships with friends, family, and even your neighbors. What a dull world that would be. And come to think of it, would we be able to survive in such conditions? A world without physical human interactions of any sort! Would we?
What is Social Isolation?
'Isolation'. A word that has become very popular after the Covid outbreak, gave us a little peek into that life. Those who have experienced it would know that spending even 14 days in 'isolation' feels like an eternity. Even the people with the strongest mental states would falter, and feel the need for social interactions by the tenth day. In such conditions, it has become necessary to be aware of how we can help ourselves and those around us when suffering from social isolation conditions. But to do that effectively, we must first understand what Social Isolation is.
Whether you are aged two or a hundred and two; rich or poor, you would need social interactions in life, to be happy. What one experiences during quarantine, or should I say are forced to experience, is what psychologists call 'Social Isolation.' In other words, it refers to being cut - off from any and every social connection, or having a complete lack of social contacts of any sort. It is one of the psychological side - effects of this disastrous worldwide pandemic. People often confuse social isolation with loneliness, but that is not the case. Social isolation can lead to feelings of loneliness, but they are not the same. Loneliness is a feeling, but social isolation refers to an actual lack of social contacts and interactions in one's life. You could be in a huge crowd of people and still feel lonely, but you would not be socially isolated in this situation. In a similar manner, you could be living completely alone and still not feel lonely, but this would be a form of social isolation. Social isolation has many ill - effects on a person's mental health, not only for the elderly but for humans of all ages, especially in such distressing situations as a global pandemic.
Why should you worry about being socially isolated?
As Aristotle has rightly said, ‘man is a social animal’. We as humans are not designed to live in isolation, and studies have revealed that even a mere ten days in isolation, can lead to long-term effects - sometimes lasting for years - which include psychological symptoms as well. We may be angry and irritated when we are in a crowded space, but we must realize that the situation that we are undergoing - or underwent - is in contrast to the basic design of mankind.
Along with a need for social contact, movement is another necessary aspect of one’s well-being that has been drastically affected during this time. Either because they are isolated, or because they are scared to go outdoors - especially elders, - this can have adverse biopsychological effects on a human. Major channels for the expression of emotions and pleasure become restricted triggering mood swings, affecting well-being, and sometimes even leading them to depression. The contagious nature of the virus has also created feelings of threat from other humans, changing the dynamics of personal space and proxemics for each individual completely. Even though it changes from person to person, proximity with another individual is now perceived as more or less of a threat. This has led to more and more people avoiding social relations, by choice. What used to be a result of not knowing what to do, or what to say when in company of many people, is now driven by the fact that being in company of people would lead us to contract a teeny - tiny, but mightily dangerous virus. It might not be long before this becomes a new normal, and people just learn to live with minimal social contact.
While this might seem pleasant for some, the after-effects that it leads to, when exercised for elongated periods are not. Pent-up feelings, unexpressed emotions, anger, nervousness, all of it, come back to us in the form of psychological problems. In the occurrence of such a scenario, it would also affect people living alone badly. While a few people can cope with it, for most of those living alone, it can cause feelings of deep disconnection since they would be unable to rely on the once larger social network, ultimately leading to the development of depressive systems. Social isolation has also been linked to a lot of other issues like reduced immunity, an increase in the risk of cardiovascular symptoms, and even premature mortality.
The increase in mortality during this time has also added to the mental trauma of mankind with not being able to be with their loved ones in their last moments and feelings of guilt about having infected them - even though with no fault of your own - being major factors. Having no control over your life, or that of your loved ones, creates feelings of uncertainty, anxiety, and anguish, again favoring the development of depressive symptoms, especially for those more vulnerable, who have already suffered mental health problems and the Covid front liners. Those working at the frontlines also have to face issues like being feared by people, since they are most likely to be a virus carrier.
Social anxiety post isolation and a few tips to cope with it :
A person freshly out of isolation is bound to feel socially anxious, upon going back to being socially active. The concerns about health are obviously there, but people start second-guessing their behavior. They start asking themselves questions like ‘Should I stand closer?’, ‘Should I hug this person? Should I shake their hand? Should I fist bump?’. People experiencing anxiety feel like others are laughing at them, or judging them even when it isn’t true. One’s self-esteem takes a hit and confidence drops during social conversations. You would converse meekly, minimally, and avoid making eye contact with other people. When socially anxious, you feel overwhelming negative emotions, dominated by fear and worry. It can also cause physically distressing symptoms like dizziness, difficulty in breathing, trembling, increase in heartbeat, nausea, and sweating. Hence, people, in an attempt to avoid experiencing such emotions, avoid resocializing all together.
Well, it is considered beneficial to crawl out of your shell and socialize so why not give it a try?
So, let’s discuss a few things we can do to cope with these feelings of anxiety-
Be kind to yourself. Understand that we are still getting acquainted. We are all relearning, so give yourself the time to do it.
Stop worrying about awkward silences, or instances when you don’t know what to say.
Sometimes, talking about not having anything to talk about may be helpful too. You never know, the other person might feel similarly.
Respect your boundaries. As important as it is to be brave and get out there, don’t push yourself too much. Withdraw from a situation if you feel very uncomfortable or pressured.
Do it gradually. Start out slowly, don’t rush into socialization. Start with two days a week, see how you feel, and gradually go back to how you were.
Understand that you will take time. Don’t beat yourself up if you take a little longer than you might have thought.
Lastly, ask for help if you need it. If your nervousness persists for a long time and starts interfering with your concentration levels or makes you feel symptoms of panic, you must visit a professional for help.
Evidently, this pandemic has completely changed our lives, but as it recedes, let’s be strong and resilient in getting back to normalcy. Hopefully, with the introduction of the vaccines, our difficulties will soon be lesser. Till then, let’s help ourselves and each other face the pandemic and its effects!
About the Author
Prisha Gohil, Member of PsyCreative Column
Psychology Committee, SDSOS, NMIMS
Prisha Gohil, born and raised in Rajkot, Gujarat, is a 17-year-old, full of youth and quirky enthusiasm, something clearly visible in her writing. She is currently studying psychology at SDSOS, Mumbai. Her biggest achievements are her family and friends, who have always been an inspiration to her. She is full of energy when she is awake, which she rarely is. Her dream is to sleep but does some productive work in between here and there while reaching her final goal. Communication is one of the best skills she possesses, that she has nurtured over time. Confident, charismatic, hard-working, and passionate are words that would appropriately describe her.
Image Source : Pixabay, Pinterest
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