Several days, several weeks or even a little over a month may have passed since you’ve last come in contact with people that aren’t your family, and as humans, we are not meant to be alone all the time. 

The deprivation of human contact can take quite a toll on a person and their body. Scientists across the world are finding that during these last couple of weeks, humans have never shown such high susceptibility to being more restless, irritable, and anxious. 

As the social creatures that we are, we crave attention and connection. When with other humans, our bodies release the hormone oxytocin, which is also known as the cuddling hormone, and without social support, we may not be able to release our tension.

According to an article written by Verywellmind, this can lead to our body being filled with other types of hormones such as cortisol, epinephrine, and norepinephrine. If there is an excessive amount of these three hormones in our body, it can cause us to find it hard to make certain decisions. 

Social distancing can also steer people to feel as if they have no motivation and are paralyzed, sad, and worthless. The combination of these feelings and hormones can lead to a person having a lower immune system, which cannot be risked during these times.  

A study was done on more than 15,000 people in Toronto from 2002 to 2004 who went into quarantine due to exposure to severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS). This research study showed that the quarantined people experienced both immediate and short-term psychological consequences that lasted for around a month after being released from isolation. 29% of the entrants displayed PTSD symptoms, while 31.2% had depressive symptoms.

Not only will the lack of socialness cause a rollercoaster of emotions and feelings, but it can also take a tremendous toll on your body since we are immobile most of the day. There will most likely be a tremendous loss of muscle mass and a larger storement of body fat. 

To get past these times faster and make sure we remain healthy both mentally and physically, we can go outside while practicing social distancing and run, bike, or take a nice long walk to soak up the beautiful day.
By using virtual communication methods and social media platforms like FaceTime, Zoom, Snapchat, Instagram, and iMessages, we can safely catch up with people we’ve lost connection with. 

And because we have so much time on our hands, what better way to spend our time than learning a new skill, for example, trying out new recipes for you and your family to enjoy. 

Finding ways to stay productive and staying in touch with others while remaining from other people’s reach is crucial during these hardships. Instill in your mind that we will be out of this sooner rather than later. Continue living your life and don’t give up on any plans quite yet.