{"id":79754,"date":"2020-03-26T19:29:16","date_gmt":"2020-03-27T03:29:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/?p=79754"},"modified":"2020-03-31T19:24:28","modified_gmt":"2020-04-01T03:24:28","slug":"7-ways-to-make-the-most-of-social-isolation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/7-ways-to-make-the-most-of-social-isolation\/","title":{"rendered":"7 Ways To Make The Most of Social Isolation"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>\n

Social isolation is not ideal. It\u2019s not good\nfor our individual physical health, mental health, or the global economy. But\nright now it must be done for the collective wellbeing. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When cinemas, bars, restaurants and malls\nclose down and we\u2019re obligated to stay inside, we need to find new ways to keep\nourselves entertained. However, it\u2019s not just the entertainment that we miss.\nThe lubricant that keeps all of those things flowing and energised is something\nthat is vital to our experience as human beings: social connection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Over the coming weeks and months, we must\nmaintain some form of social contact and we stay active and engaged in life. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It may not seem like it at first glance, but\neven the most individual hobby usually has some relational aspect. Consider\nreading a book for example. We may do it alone, but we\u2019re interacting with\nsomeone else\u2019s human story, the characters, the emotions, the experience. The\nsame is true of movies, video games, sports, and almost everything we do\nonline.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This social distancing scenario is a nuance,\nbut it\u2019s also an opportunity for growth. Anyone who has followed the news\nlately will have heard the phrase \u2018unprecedented times.\u2019 Which is true, this situation\nis completely novel, but so is the amazing access to content and community that\nwe have with the internet and modern technology.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The following list is by no means exhaustive,\nbut it\u2019s intended to hopefully inspire some of your own ideas for managing\nboredom and continuing your personal development during social isolation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Without further ado, here are 7 ways to make the most of\nsocial isolation.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

#7. If\nyou can\u2019t go outside, go inside.<\/strong> I saw this on an\ninfographic the other day and I loved it. Social-isolation is the perfect\nopportunity to begin a meditation or yoga practice. You\u2019ve got the time to do\nso, and a good reason (you\u2019re probably feeling pretty restless), so why not get\nstarted? There are a ton of teachers offering free meditation and yoga classes\nthrough Zoom and Skype. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

#6.\nLearn something new.<\/strong> Almost everyone has a skill or\narea of knowledge that they\u2019ve considered learning at some point.\nUnfortunately, when we are busy, life gets in the way. With YouTube, Udemy,\nSkillshare and dozens of other independent online teaching studios, there\u2019s no\nexcuse not to do so. Maybe it\u2019s a new language. Maybe you\u2019d like to learn basic\nbiology, physics or chemistry. You could try and learn how to dance, draw,\npaint, or play an instrument. There are also thousands of documentaries about\nevery topic imaginable. Now\u2019s the time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

#5.\nPick up a book.<\/strong> Whether you consider yourself a reader\nor not, this is an opportune moment to start on a new book (or listen to an\naudiobook). If you\u2019re already reading, then maybe it\u2019s time to switch from\nfiction to nonfiction, or from science to history, crime to sci-fi. Check out\ngoodreads or amazon for some suggestions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

#4.\nFind your digital tribe.<\/strong> There are hundreds of\nthousands of online groups with different interests. Reddit is a great place to\nstart, but you can also do a simple search for your interests in Facebook\ngroups, or a google search for independent community forums. It doesn\u2019t matter\nif you\u2019re interested in gardening or sports, pottery or drones – there\u2019s something\nout there for everyone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

#3.\nMake someone else feel less lonely.<\/strong> The best way to\nget out of your own head is to shift your attention to someone else. Depending\non who you are, social isolation generally ranges from an inconvenience to a\nsevere stressor. No matter who you are, it\u2019s safe to assume there are people\nout there who are hurting more than you right now. Anyone who lives alone, is\nelderly, disabled, lives in a rural area or suffers from depression could use\nsomeone to talk to and there are volunteer services in your country that allow\nyou to do just that. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

#2.\nHave a digital detox day.<\/strong> All this Coronavirus news is\nstressful. Being bombarded with updates every moment of the day is not healthy,\nparticularly when it starts to go on for weeks and months. Choose days of the\nweek to have a detox from all digital content and do something else. If this is\ndifficult for you – or you\u2019re limited by your work – you could start with an\nhour or two and try to build it up to a day. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

#1. Do\nwhatever you\u2019ve been putting off.<\/strong> Everyone has\nsomething they\u2019ve been putting off. Maybe it\u2019s something you really want to do\nbut don\u2019t have the time, like writing a book. Or it could be something you\u2019ve\nbeen avoiding but now have the time to do, like your finances. Either way, self\nisolation is a great opportunity to give yourself the time and space to get\nimportant things done and feel good about it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Have you tried any of these? Got some of your\nown ideas you\u2019d like to share? Let us know in the comments, we\u2019d love to hear\nfrom you!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

—————————————————-<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ben is an author,\npsychotherapist and the creator of <\/em>Project Monkey Mind<\/em><\/a>, a blog that helps people <\/em>manage depression and anxiety<\/em><\/a> and find peace and calm through meditation. He\nholds an MSc. in Applied Neuroscience from King’s College London and a\nBachelors in Psychology from the University of Queensland.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Social isolation is not ideal. It\u2019s not good for our individual physical health, mental health, or the global economy. But right now it must be done for the collective wellbeing. When cinemas, bars, restaurants and malls close down and we\u2019re … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10935,"featured_media":79755,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0},"categories":[30,21,58,7,7748],"tags":[7766,7767,442,7770,1645,7769],"yoast_head":"\n7 Ways To Make The Most of Social Isolation<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Social isolation is not ideal. It\u2019s not good for our individual physical health, mental health, or the global economy. 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