Social Isolation and Mental Health

These are unprecedented, troubling times on a global scale with many governments implementing forced social distancing. In this article  “Social Isolation and Mental Health”, we will explore just how isolation affects our mental health.

With Corona Virus(COVID-19) running rampant across the globe it became necessary for governments to implement forced social isolation.

Social isolation is a state of near-complete lack of contact between an individual and society.

The officials in our country are stating that we should only go out for essential items like food or medicine and to maintain a safe distance of 6 feet at all times.

But just how is this isolation going to affect our mental health and what can we do about it?

Social isolation is known to be linked to depression, anxiety and other mental health issues as well as negatively affecting one’s physical health.

The longer the isolation the more difficult it will be for individuals to maintain their mental health.

 

What Are The Negative Effects of Social Isolation?

First of all, being isolated from family and friends can be extremely difficult to cope with.

Without a doubt we humans are social by nature and studies have shown withholding contact from other humans can have some very detrimental effects on both our mental and physical health.

The effects of social isolation can include:

• loneliness

  

• depression
• poor sleep quality
• cognitive decline
• Alzheimer’s disease
• hallucinations and delusions
• high blood pressure
• heart disease
• obesity
• a weakened immune system
• death (or suicide)

Social isolation can lead to feelings of loneliness, negative self-esteem and a fear of others. A consistent lack of human contact can also cause problems with other family members.

Loneliness is a serious health risk that can be twice as dangerous as obesity.

It is critical in these days of forced social isolation to find creative ways to minimize our risk for deeper problems within the whole of society.

 

Are There Any Positive Effects?

We are all struggling as we feel cooped up in our homes and it is important to realize that it is normal to feel lonely at times.

It is important to realize there is a positive effect of this forced social isolation.

It is believed by governments and health officials worldwide that by practicing social distancing we will ultimately be able to curb the spread of COVID-19.

As difficult as it is, the benefits of keeping family and friends safe makes the inconvenience so worthwhile.

A few weeks of being isolated seems a small price to pay for a lifetime of happiness and fun times with our family and friends when this is over with.

This time being stuck at home can be a time for developing stronger family ties as we only have each other to interact with.

Spending extra time with our family will allow us to get to know each other on a deeper level and improve our relationships and deepen our family ties.

 

Forced Social Isolation is Unique

Normally social isolation occurs when someone lacks the emotional, mental or financial resources to get out and satisfy their social needs or they lack a social circle that can provide these benefits.

However currently citizens around the world are being forced to practice social isolation in an attempt to curb the spread of this global pandemic.

Yes, it is scary, but it is also amazingly unique.

I believe this may be the first time in history the ENTIRE GLOBE is focused on fighting the same enemy which is a huge positive if you ask me.

Seriously, at this moment in time, our culture or religious differences don’t matter and we ALL want the same thing, to gain the upper hand in the fight against this virus and to find both a cure and a preventative immunization.

Never before has the entire HUMAN race come together and fought the same war collectively together, sharing what works and what doesn’t, helping each other like never before.

 

Quiet Reflection

This time of social isolation can be put to great use with some time spent in quiet reflection.

A few moments of being truly thankful for life’s blessings is important especially if you are not sick.

I am thankful to have a home, my husband by my side and the fact that we are both healthy right now.

This is the perfect time to get caught up on some of those projects around the house that you have been meaning to get done but didn’t have the time.

Take some time with yourself to seriously think about the type of person you want to be. Contemplate how close or how far you are from becoming that person.

You can begin by identifying the areas where you want to improve and develop a plan to start working towards becoming who you really want to be.

This would be a great time for reading books related to self-improvement and would be time well spent and you don’t even have to leave the safety of your home to grab a copy.

Here are a few of our favourites:

• The Magic of Thinking Big by David J. Schwartz
• Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill
• How to Stop Worrying and Start Living by Dale Carnegie

(As an Amazon Associate I earn a small affiliate fee from qualifying purchases for sharing the information. This does not increase the cost that you pay for the item, in some cases, you may pay less if I share a special discount price).

This time of social isolation has forced me to appreciate why I do what I do and I have totally recommitted to my online business.

The necessity of remaining at home has made me realize how truly thankful I am that my income does not depend on going out to some JOB.

There are many people around the globe who have been asked to do their work from home and there are many not able to and as a result, have been temporarily been laid off.

This added stress caused by financial worries only serves to increase the risk of anxiety and depression.

One of the many perks of having an online business is that there are no worries about layoffs.

Since starting my online business I have true freedom in that I can work where I want when I want and that is priceless and I am having the time of my life doing it.

If you are interested in learning how to make money online check out this article entitled “How To Make Extra Money At Home“.

The timing has never been better and with plenty of time on our hands why not learn something new.

Wealthy Affiliate is the only online business training system we have come across that allows you to join for free and actually “try before you buy”.

 

Stay Connected

In this day and age, there is no reason to be completely isolated. Sure we can’t get together but there are social media.

Why not have a FaceTime or Skype date with a family member or friend.

Grab a coffee or tea and connect with someone through a video chat.

It gives you some sense of communication with another human which can go a long way to curbing those feelings of loneliness.

While chatting with family or friends why not have fun planning what you will do when you can get together again.

Our community is planning a massive bbq for when all the restrictions finally get lifted.

What a great way to get people chatting and gives hope for a brighter future.

Whether chatting on the phone or video-chatting having that connection with other humans is so important right now especially since none of us knows how long we have to restrict our social gatherings.

Final Thoughts

As a world city, it is up to me to follow my government’s recommendations and stay home while the health officials battle the front lines of this pandemic.

By staying home I am doing everything I can to help ensure the safety of family, friends and community.

Let’s continue to work together for the common good and in the process perhaps become the people we always wanted to become.

The world is a much better place when we work together rather than bicker at petty differences.

I intend to continue with self, quiet reflection and work on being the best I can be.

I wish you all good health and I hope you use today’s technology to remain connected with family and friends and keep dreaming of better days to come.

Together we can not only survive this crisis but thrive and become better as a human race than we were before.

Feel free to share with us any ideas you have for maintaining strong mental health throughout these difficult times.

Thanks so much for stopping by.