Written by Chelsea Petersen, LMFT
I’m here to talk to you about social distancing and social isolation. Social distancing is something we’re finding that we’re all doing right now to hopefully eradicate the spread of COVID-19. An unfortunate side effect of social distancing can be social isolation. Social isolation has been proven to have very negative physical side effects, similar to consequences you would see in being morbidly obese and/or smoking 15 cigarettes a day. That’s a pretty negative impact that social isolation can have. So today I want to talk to you a little bit about how to recognize in yourself that you may be socially isolating rather than socially distancing, as well as some tips to help you get back on track and not be socially isolated in this crazy time we live in.
First off, there are some specific things to look out for. You may notice changes in appetite or changes in sleep. You might also recognize feelings or thoughts of being unmotivated; things that may have brought you joy at one time might not bring you as much joy as they once did. You might find yourself even avoiding those things that once brought you joy. If that sounds like you, I want you to try some of these things that I’m going to talk about next.
One thing that we know is really important is making sure that you’re in a routine and that you stick to that routine as much as possible. Make sure that you’re getting out of bed everyday, changing your clothes, not staying in your pajamas, as well as maybe even trying to make your bed. Some of our usual daily activities such as meal times, can be done at the same time each day. This can be really helpful in creating a successful routine for you. Something else that might be helpful in getting you out of this funk or to help mitigate the loneliness that you may feel during this social distancing period is being able to try something new. Go exercise! Yoga and meditation can be a good bridge for people who have been really used to being busy and always going. We often don’t pay attention to what our body needs and slowing down can be very uncomfortable if our body isn’t used to that. Yoga and meditation are great ways to begin slowing down in a healthy way. We have a great yoga instructor here at Cache Valley Counseling, her name is Sadie and she is fantastic. If you’ve tried yoga before and didn’t feel it was successful, I would encourage you to reach out to Sadie! She’d be happy to help you find a way to benefit from the pros of yoga and meditation in a way your own individual body can work with.
Another way to try new things is through a wonderful source we all have access to:YouTube! You can learn pretty much anything from YouTube, so I would encourage you to get on and try to find something you may be interested in learning how to do. One of the most important (and obvious) ways to keep yourself socially distanced but not socially isolated is by connecting with people virtually; There are so many different platforms you can use to chat with people. The best way to go about this is not only speaking with people on the phone, but really being able to see and connect with them. You can do this through FaceTime, Duo, Zoom, Google Hangouts, and more. Maybe try sharing something that you’re learning from YouTube with your friends and family through these platforms! Something else that can also be helpful is talking to a therapist or counselor. Here at Cache Valley Counseling, we are doing online therapy. We are still open and operating and have the ability to see clients. We would encourage you to reach out not just to us but to anyone else that is providing a teletherapy option. Overall, it’s really important to make sure you’re taking care of your mental health. We want to make sure we’re all getting through this together so that we can come out better in the end.