Due to the restrictive reality caused by the pandemic, if any of us were in contact with someone who is experiencing positive Covid-19 symptoms, or if we were tested as positive as well, we would have to remain in quarantine for a period of time. While in quarantine, the lack of social contact we have to endure, especially if we live alone, can have an impact on our mental health.
One such impact is loneliness, and this article will provide a number of activities we can do to keep our loneliness at bay.
What is Loneliness?
It is important to note that loneliness and being alone are two separate things. Being alone is a choice and does not necessarily imply loneliness. Loneliness is a state of mind, deprived of human contact. People who often experience loneliness, often feel unwanted, empty or depressed. In addition to this, people may also experience loneliness even when being surrounded by people but lacking the fruitful experience of effective communication. For example, living in a country where no one understands your language (Cherry, 2020).
When being placed in quarantine, the lack of human contact can easily promote loneliness. However, by being creative and keeping ourselves busy, we can find a way to reduce our lonely state of mind and maintain a more positive mindset.
Creative Something
Your home is your personal playground, use your skills or motivations to make your quarantine life fun. Try creative something you have never created before. If you love cooking, why not try out a new recipe, or create one yourself. If you enjoy painting, create a portrait of whatever you like. Use your sense of creativity to keep yourself busy and do something new (Cuncic, 2020).
Keep Yourself Physically Active
Physical activity is proved to improve our health, energy levels, immune system and our mental health. It helps us to become more resilience and reduce depression and anxiety. It can also make us less vulnerable to loneliness. By exercising at least 30 minutes a day, it is proved as a vital factor to good mental health (Semeco, 2021).
Distract Yourself
Reading a book once a day can help stimulate the brain and help you remain focused. How about learning a new language or developing a new skill you can do indoors? What about watching a new series or a franchise of movies? Activities such as knitting can help distract us from feeling bored and lonely (Cuncic, 2020).
Maintain a Social Life Through Digital Means
Despite being in quarantine and spending some time away from our social circles, we can still connect with one another thanks to the digital age we possess nowadays. By the click of a button we can enjoy the digital presence of one another without passing on the virus to other people (Cuncic, 2020).
Conclusion
To conclude this article, despite experiencing loneliness there is always a way to improve our mental health and keep our loneliness from contaminating our mood. Loneliness affects everyone indiscriminately, but we choose whether we allow it to affect us or not.
If you think that you can benefit from professional support on this issue you can reach out here.
Lyon Vella is a Psychology graduate at the University of Malta.
References
Cherry, K. (2020, March 23). The health consequences of loneliness. Verywell Mind. Retrieved from: https://www.verywellmind.com/loneliness-causes-effects-and-treatments-2795749#definition-of-loneliness
Cuncic, A. (2020, March 27). How to cope with loneliness during the coronavirus pandemic. Verywell Mind. Retrieved: https://www.verywellmind.com/how-to-cope-with-loneliness-during-coronavirus-4799661
Semeco, A. (2021, June 21). The top 10 benefits of regular exercise. Healthline. Retrieved from: https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/10-benefits-of-exercise