![]() That’s one of the main issues that can get you stressed out. Let’s go back to all of the unknowns we are dealing with. You can get all those little confidence-boosting conversations and get a little reminder that you’re loved by a lot of people. ![]() While you might not be able to visit in person, you can still see them and chit chat without risking exposure to the coronavirus. Talk to friends, your children and grandchildren, or even your doctor. Use video calling apps like Facetime, Zoom, Google Duo, or any other platform you can find. You can also get in touch with SOMEBODY in a number of ways at most times of the day. You’ve got access to any piece of information you could ever want to know at a moment’s notice. The phone that you’re probably reading this article on is an amazing tool. While we can’t physically be around each other, you can still use technology to your advantage. Losing the ability to be in a social situation whenever you want is one of the big things that lead to loneliness, whether that’s seeing your family or spending time with friends. Once you accept that your feelings aren’t uncommon, you can move on to some more active measures. Feeling depressed, anxious, and stressed is a natural reaction to this giant mess we find ourselves in. One key here is to remember you’re not alone. Whether you’re in the high-risk category of contracting COVID-19 so you’ve chosen to stay at home or you’re quarantined because of exposure, you can start by addressing the issue that leads you down that path of depression or climb your way back up if you’ve fallen down. It’s not easy, but you can do several things to help keep from sliding down this slippery slope. Those bad habits and all of the uncertainty being dealt with also leads to cranking up your stress and anxiety levels. Once you are depressed, you might start developing some bad habits like unhealthy eating, smoking, excessive drinking, or not exercising, all of which are going to add physical problems to the mental ones. This is where you start getting depressed. Now you’re not getting all those little confidence boosters. That’s where you get a lot of verbal support and encouragement from those close to you. When all of those things stopped happening, you no longer had an outlet for those social interactions. You might be thinking, “how is loneliness going to hurt me physically?” Here’s how it works:īefore things like lockdowns and quarantines started happening, you may have gone to regular social outings like golfing, hitting the local watering hole, or having big get-togethers with your friends. Those issues include depression, problems sleeping, a faster rate of cognitive decline, and immune system issues. Believe it or not, it can cause both mental and physical problems that can snowball if not addressed. The impacts of social isolation and loneliness are far-reaching. Quarantines, self-isolation, and social distancing have made it extremely difficult to get that in-person interaction we all need (even if you’re more of an introvert you need some type of socializing every now and then). The Psychological TollĮven if you lived alone before the pandemic began, you probably have never felt so alone. You’ll feel a little better after we lay out how this affects your mental health and how you can keep a glass half full kind of viewpoint on the situation. This is a new virus that we are still learning new things about every day, we don’t know when things will go back to some semblance of normalcy, and the constant influx of negative news is overwhelming. When it comes down to it, the unknown is scary. With quarantines and self-isolation still being the best practice due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, coping with isolation during COVID is something many people are struggling with. A Department of Health and Human Services report says nearly 30% of older adults in the U.S.
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