The pandemic has definitely impacted many lives around the world: many families have suffered by handling death and bereavement or by having a direct impact on their own health/well-being. I was lucky to not have been affected to closely but this pandemic has shaken up our lives by the cancellation of many family reunions that were planned for a long time of by putting more distance with our relatives living abroad (with continuous times of lockdowns)
We’ve been living in our bubble called “home” for almost a year now… This bubble is our place of work, leisure & relaxation. My children seem to adapt well to this new way of life, which despite the inconveniences of everyday life, has allowed us to come closer to each other.
Two weeks ago, a feeling of loneliness and isolation invaded me. It was very difficult to go through because I could not express this in front of my children. This uncertainty about what will or will not happen suddenly “messed me up”. I was in need to get guidance on remaining resilient when the future is so uncertain.
This lack of family plans or meetings with friends was one like one more test in the fight against this pandemic. There is an article from Forbes that I found interesting. It helps you getting some quick tips to “combat loneliness” like having a walk, meet with others by respecting social distancing, set up plans and focus on opportunities that the loneliness can provide….
To go further, I wanted t read more about the “loneliness” topic from real experts.
The first article is from the Harvard Magazine where I collected this great definition or like “loneliness is the gap between the social connections you would like to have and those you feel you experience”. I also learned that they are multiple categories of loneliness as interpersonal, existential and societal. In addition, “Researchers are now actively studying the mechanisms by which loneliness affects health, including its relationship with inflammation and harmful changes in DNA expression”. And, as a summary, in everything we live right now: “COVID-19 has pushed loneliness further into the public conversation as people across the country have stayed home, fearful of contracting a deadly virus and aiding its spread. Terms like “social distancing,” “self-isolation,” and “shelter in place” accentuate the idea that COVID-19 could have profound social implications. “A major adverse consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic is likely to be increased social isolation and loneliness”
The second article is from NCBI (National Center Of Biotechnology Information) where some researchers are trying to “evaluate COVID-19 related psychiatric symptoms of depression and anxiety, and their comorbidity in a Western society (Israel), where restrictive social-distancing has been employed.” Their second main finding of their study “reveals that loneliness, due to the social-distancing policy, was the main risk-factor for depression, anxiety and especially their comorbidity”
To conclude, do not hesitate to speak up and share your feelings with your relatives, your colleagues…. you have to “burst the abscess”. Many people you know may have the same feelings (close to what is articulated in the Forbes article). At least, if you open your heart (and mind), it will allow you to do some kind of “group therapy” together and move forward with positivism.
ThinkerSquid 