Self-Isolation
The last 60 days have made this phrase awfully familiar. It’s now commonly associated with “lock-down,” “quarantine,” and “social-distancing,” – all drawing images of being not only alone, but lonely; of not being able to go out and about and be with others. I am moved to write this because whenever I try to sort it out, I get lost in my mind — particularly when I get to the part of wondering when and how this will end.
I’m also hoping that reflecting on this will enable us to be more intentional about managing our thoughts and feelings. We are wired as social beings, and whether we consider ourselves introverted or extroverted, human connection is a basic need. Having extremely limited or no access to this connection is not only painful, but also maddening.
How did this start?
The World Health Organization announced on March 11, 2020 that COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel corona virus is officially a global pandemic. The potential scale of its contagion was likened to the 1918 Spanish flu. I didn’t know what this meant, so I looked it up (see bottom if you’re interested).
The whole world was caught off-guard. Zoonotic and exponentially contagious, no medical testing protocol, vaccine nor cure has ever been developed to fight and contain this new pandemic. Government mandates instantly came crushing down on the global citizenry. Fear became instantly widespread: fear of contagion, fear of death.
Without a clear path to a cure, the only prevention our brilliant scientists and medical professionals have identified thus far is what we have been living with since March, and what is evolving into what could be our new normal: “social distancing”, lock-down”, “community quarantine”, “self-isolation”. Self-isolation has now become synonymous to self-preservation.
60ish days in Self-Isolation: the altered state
So, here we find ourselves — in what would have been the season for graduations, weddings, summer vacations and reunions — contending with staying at home, working from home, learning at home, and becoming experts in social media connectivity. We’re finding comfort in Zoom cocktail hours and FaceTime meet ups. Graduations, weddings, concerts, sports games, even the Olympics have been cancelled. Restaurants are closed for dining; we’ve settled with curb-side pick-ups. Forget about going to the movies or catching a Broadway play. Visits with families are non-existent or very much limited to sitting together outside, observing the defined six-feet distance from each other. Schools are closed, and parents with young kids are now juggling working at home with sustaining their children’s education. Unemployment has hit record highs across the world, with some of the more responsible — and affluent — governments stepping up to keep their economies afloat, lest this pandemic leads to a deep recession, which it probably has already.
We find ourselves with plenty of time on our hands, but not accomplishing much. Those projects that we said we’d get done - if only we had time - are languishing, as we too, languish in a state that feels like we’re the central characters in the classic “Waiting for Godot”. Waiting for someone, or something, that never arrives….
Getting through this transition
As a life coach, I have helped many clients get through a wide range of life and career transitions. What is maddening with this transition is the scale and enormity of not knowing how we will get to the other side. What is “it”, when will “it” happen, and how will “it” affect my life?
I believe that “it” will arrive - the cure, the “new normal”. While we are still in this state of some form of isolation, experts propose several coping strategies – ways we can more actively and intentionally manage our altered state: (Excerpts from The Independent)
Take “micro lifts” during the day
Dr. Lucy Acheson, a counseling psychologist, says that one of the main problems with self-isolation is that we start to miss “micro-lifts” that we normally have peppered throughout our day without even necessarily realizing. “You’re on your way to work, you might pop into your favorite coffee shop or say hi to someone in the street, there are little things throughout our day that help to lift us often without us even realizing. When you are alone at home that doesn’t happen – and the cumulative effect of that is massive, especially around the two-week mark. So instead we need to create micro-lifts, it must be something that generates a sense of achievement – maybe a new exercise, learning a little bit of a language, talking to someone on FaceTime.”
Keep a healthy diet
When you are at home it can be tempting to just sit on the sofa without moving, eating unbalanced meals and snacking all day to entertain yourself. Mental health adviser Emma Carrington says: “Do your best to eat well. If no one can bring food to you then see if you can sign up to home deliveries from your local supermarket. Have a look to see if there are any community support groups in your local area that can provide support with shopping.” Stick to having regular meals – breakfast, lunch and dinner on regular times selecting healthy food and snacks. Be watchful of your alcohol consumption or any other tendencies to succumb to substance abuse. Recognize that this is a vulnerable time for all of us.
Engage with nature
Stephen Blakely of Mind, a UK health organization, recommends making every effort to exercise and get as much exposure to the outside world as possible, within the government-prescribed limits. “Our physical health and mental health are linked so try to create a routine that includes some physical exercise,” he says. “Although you can’t spend time with others, do make the most of any private outdoor space you have – such as a garden or balcony – if you have one, as being in nature can also help our wellbeing.” Alternatively, look out window to watch the birds or tend to houseplants to keep your mind stimulated and engaged with nature. If you can, open the window and let fresh air into your room.
Maintain a sense of routine
Find yourself spending all day in your pajamas? Although in the short term this can feel nice, in the long term this is not going to be good for your mental well-being. Try to maintain as much of a routine as possible. Wake up and go to bed at healthy times to get enough sleep. Dr. Atcheson warns against just falling into a routine cycle of sleeping, working, eating, and repeating. “Find some time to still have value to your day, life cannot be about just working, eating and sleeping. Do something fun for yourself (that isn’t just Netflix). “I’m seeing a lot of people who are self-isolating are losing their optimism for the future. They are using time for self-reflecting and picking apart everything that is wrong with their life: their job, their relationship, their friendships. When we’re overwhelmed by a mundane life, it can quickly draw out the joy, so make fun for yourself.”
Don’t just sit in front of a screen – vary your activities
Sitting in front of a screen all day – whether for work or pleasure – is not the best way to spend long periods of time. Especially because the blue light from devices, like smartphones, can be disruptive to your sleep and overall well-being. Try downloading podcasts, DIY arts and crafts, baking and cooking new foods, gardening, learning a new hobby, or meditation.
Stay connected to people
The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends maintaining your social network during self-isolation: “Even when isolated, try as much as possible to keep your personal daily routines or create new routines. If health authorities have recommended limiting your physical social contact to contain the outbreak, you can stay connected via email, social media, video conference and telephone.”
Limit your news intake
If you are finding the constant 24/7 coverage of coronavirus is impacting your mental health, particularly on social media, then opt out. According to the WHO: “A near-constant stream of news reports about an outbreak can cause anyone to feel anxious or distressed. Seek information updates and practical guidance at specific times during the day from health professionals and the WHO website and avoid listening to or following rumors that make you feel uncomfortable.”
Don’t get drawn into a negative spiral
Dr. Atcheson says one of the most dangerous things for your mental health is having too much time to think about your life critically. She explains: “When self-isolating you’ve got a lot of time to think and it’s quite common to experience massive life dissatisfaction as a result. You can start off the process feeling calm but gradually you start to morph into this. You get into a constant flow of critiquing your life and yourself, and you really need to avoid this negative spirit.” Instead, see it as a different period in your life, and not necessarily a bad one, even if you didn’t choose it. It means a different rhythm of life, a chance to be in touch with others in different ways than usual.
Be grateful
While most of us are living through this pain of isolation, “essential workers” or “front-liners” go to work every day. They deliver and stock food and essential supplies; they operate our public transportation systems; they take care of the sick and the infected; they bury our dead. New York’s Governor Andrew Cuomo captured the essence of what these front-liners have demonstrated. When he declared the stay-at-home mandate for New Yorkers, he said he also announced that the essential workers, the front-liners, will have to continue to go to work. He admitted that he feared that the front-liners would choose to stay home. But they did not. They went to work and continued to so. Everyday. Not for fear of the Governor or their bosses, but because they knew it was the right thing to do. They were simply honoring their duty to serve and take care of others. They have not self-isolated. They have not taken the choice to self-preserve. They have risked their lives so we can be safe and live as normal as possible. Let us recognize this and be grateful.
Keep your faith
John Fountain published this beautiful petition in the Chicago Sun Times: “Let us beseech God’s mercy and grace for deliverance. To look upon the homeless and indigent, those families who live in cars or in tent homes, those who make their beds beneath viaducts and overpasses with no resources to ‘shelter in place’. To be an unbreachable fence around single mothers, the elderly and the infirm who are now cut off from family amid this pandemic. To be an impenetrable shield to medical workers and staff, researchers and first responders on the front lines. Let our leaders speak truth. Let this time of social isolation be a time of holy consecration, family rededication and meditation. Let the spirit of community and brotherhood arise. Let us remember to love our neighbor as ourselves—to look out for one another, having been fully reminded by this current state of emergency that we are all in this together.”
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Resources:
The 1918 pandemic: lasted almost 36 months, from 1918 to 1920, infected over 500 million people and cost between 17-50 million lives (possibly as high as 100 million). Caused by a virus that attacks the human respiratory system with symptoms like the flu, the 1918 pandemic is theorized to have originated from UK troops staging a hospital camp in Etaples, France. The camp, also home to piggery and poultry, made the virologist John Oxford postulate that a precursor virus harbored in birds mutated and then migrated to pigs in the camp. It somehow got the name “Spanish flu” not because it originated from Spain, but because it spread to Spain from France. Spain was not involved with World War 1 and did not impose wartime censorship, so newspaper reports of the pandemic’s devastating effects first came from Spain, creating a false impression of its origin. (Source: Wikipedia)
The 2020 pandemic: The first reports came from China, with 266 people infected by early January. Global infection has spread exponentially, and as of April 30th is reported at 3.2 million with 227,000 deaths. The US accounts for over 1 million of the reported infections and over 58,000 deaths. The Philippines reported over 8,000 confirmed cases and over 500 deaths.
