The Lasting Impact of Social Isolation

As America begins to open back up, the news all around us seems to portray re-entry into society as we knew it as a seamless process that most Americans have chosen to undergo as normal. This past weekend, the Old Town Scottsdale bars were crowded with lines out the doors and local lakes were packed with kayaks and campsites that did little to acknowledge the social distancing norms of just a few short days before. I was in a healthcare facility last week where temperature checks were required prior to entry. I felt safe. I felt secure. Then, as I was leaving, a young lady was admitted with a fever as the nurse practitioner responded, "Don't worry. It's probably just hot outside," and allowed her to pass on through. Although I am not personally afraid, I cannot help but wonder if we are ready to just jump back in to previous social norms. This sudden, somewhat unanticipated transition has left me with more questions than answers, more hesitations than certainty.

As we re-enter society as we knew it, just what is the social-emotional impact of quarantine norms? What is their potential long-term affect on us as typical functioning humans? What does it mean to re-enter society during this time? How can we best support each other?
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How Quarantine Manifested depression

Photo by EVG photos

Before we dig into the long-term impact of quarantine norms, and how we might effectively consider re-entry into American society, we must first understand the relationship between these norms and clinically defined depression. As most of us can readily observe in our own personal lives, there is often a direct correlation between action and mood. For example, a phrase I often use at work is, "Let's walk it out!" If something stressful happened, or if we've simply been sedentary for too long, we take a quick lap around the building, releasing endorphins and basking in a quick dose of Vitamin D from that hot desert sun. We can change location and change our mindset. A little physical activity goes a long way. 

During these days of social distancing, however, we have been asked to refrain from normal routines and the performance of typical behaviors that might otherwise allow us to get out of our little rut. Being asked to socially disengage as well as avoid our normal activities are withdrawal events that are (traditionally) highly correlated with depressive behavior. Thus, unless we work extra hard to compensate for this adverse impact in our daily routines, depressive behavior will likely abound. And, let's face it. When we have to work even harder to pick ourselves up to walk around the run block, or Zoom with a friend, it's less likely to happen. Instead, we revert to Netflix and minor self-loathing as we stare blankly into the fridge. Eventually, feelings of anxiety and depression sneak in to our lives, despite our best intentions of keeping them at bay.

So, knowing that we already probably carry some minor depressive symptoms and more than a little anxiety with us as we re-enter the real world once again, what can we anticipate once we have one foot back out the door?
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The mental taxation of thinking explicitly about every little item we touch and if we are maintaining appropriate social distances and whether or not it's safe to order delivery has put a damper on the simplistic socialization and care-free purchasing of the past.

​Retraining Our Bodies, Retraining our Minds

Recognizing our current emotional state may be one of the first best things we can do as we prepare to re-enter society. Although we may not feel depressed or overtly manifest behaviors typical of anxiety, there is still a strong possibility that there are some unexplored symptoms of each lurking beneath the surface of our self-awareness. Thus, I would like to encourage readers to simply take a moment and allow yourself to feel what you're feeling. Or, as my favorite yoga instructor Chris likes to say, "Notice what you're noticing." Take notice of sleeping and eating patterns, as well as mental acuity and focus. How are you treating yourself these days? How are you treating others? Keeping a pulse on how you're feeling is the first step to re-entry, and it can be done before you even leave the house.

To start my week after the long holiday weekend, for example, I noticed that I was feeling quite sluggish. Despite sleeping soundly and for more hours than normal (another warning sign that something is mildly amiss), I was feeling lethargic and lacking motivation. I realized that my physical energy has been low, and I have drank increasingly higher amounts of caffeine and lower amounts of water over the past several weeks. My stomach has remained solid. My treatment of others, however, has been self-focused and lacking presence. I now have a plan in place to go to sleep and wake up at more normalized times, and to limit caffeine intake in my day. I am recommitting to how I'm feeling and becoming re-attuned to the world around me before I ever leave the house.

It's not just our bodies that we have to retrain after these days of social distancing, however. We also have to retrain ourselves to re-enter society like normal human beings. Do you remember those days when you hugged your friends with reckless abandon and scooped up all the toddler squishes the little darling would allow you to snatch? Do you remember going to the grocery store or the coffee shop without copious amounts of hand sanitizer and a healthy wipe down of everything with a Chlorox wipe? The mental taxation of thinking explicitly about every little item we touch and if we are maintaining appropriate social distances and whether or not it's safe to order delivery has put a damper on the simplistic socialization and care-free purchasing of the past. It is going to take time to re-enter society and figure out what the new normal looks like for each of us on a personal level, both with and without our friends. Further, we have to train ourselves to respect new boundaries of those we care about without judgement or overexercising our own opinions of what re-entry looks like for those we love.

Whether it's global or personal, in a store or within our social circles, re-entry comes with a lot to consider despite the way it looks on the big screen from the sofa in our front room. We would do well to consider the social-emotional impact of this transition just as intentionally as we did when quarantine was first introduced. Acceptance does not necessarily mean the elimination of fear and doubt, and we owe it to each other to be patient with ourselves and others throughout this novel process as we consider how it means to re-enter America once again. 

Linger a Little Longer:
1. Reflect on your time of quarantine and social distancing. What are you feeling? How are your current daily rhythms and patterns, such as eat and sleep?
2. Ask yourself how you feel about re-entry. What new boundaries do you need to create? What needs to be expressed to those you love?
3. How can you support others in your life who have explicit fears and anxiety about re-entering society? Do you share any of these fears yourself?