Social distancing is being encouraged for our safety and health. However, there are negative side effects to our health in other ways that are very real and can become acute. If social distancing lasts long enough, these side effects can become chronic. Before looking at just the negative side effects lets have a look at some of the positive side effects of social distancing. Staying healthy during social distancing has become a global challenge.
Positive side effects of Social distancing
- More people are staying in with family.
- Families are going out for walks more.
- People are getting out for fresh air through walks, cycling, exercising.
- Dogs and pets are really happy because their humans are around more!
- Streets are empty making traffic great.
- People are finding other ways to connect. E.g. online dance parties and gatherings at regular times
- It will eventually force some people to be creative with less. E.g. other forms of income for those who have had to stop working; other means of keeping busy for those that normally go out and rely on external forms of activity and entertainment.
Negative side effects of social distancing
- Cabin fever after awhile due to staying inside. Everything except groceries and essential services and stores are open, so there is no where to go, move around and be around social activities.
- For those on their own, loneliness and isolation can set it. For those with depression, this can intensify due to being on ones own. Even for those without depression, isolation can have very negative and lasting effects. Don’t assume someone is ok and try to be understanding and there.
- For some, less activity due to working from home.
- Posture can be compromised due to sitting for longer periods of time. We underestimate the activity we get during the day going to an office or school and then back home. Walking to the bus or car; walking to your school or office from the bus stop of parking lot; getting up and walking down the hall to the washroom, lunch room, to meetings, to talk different classes. Ergonomically better office set ups than makeshift home office with office laptop.
- Social interactions that we get by even seeing other people is no longer there.
- People try to stay connected but end up doing so through online means. This is great but now people are online more making them more prone to text neck and other postural issues.
The main positives out of this age of social distancing is that it limits the spread and chances of getting the coronavirus, brings families and people within a household together more. People are reaching out to others through online means. The latter has its pros and cons. Pros, it keeps people connected; cons a lot of what is being discussed is negative as it’s due to the coronavirus and the.
The main negatives are mental and physical well being. These are slowly being compromised. Given we are encouraged to socially distance ourselves and for many, participating in social activities or even just being around other can help our mental well being, this is a more challenging side effect to combat. However, being physically active can help with mental well being. Being physically active can also help with the postural concerns that can result from staying indoors more than normal.
To maintain one’s mental well being can be difficult with limited options. So, let’s start with physical well being. Most don’t realize how much activity we get by just going about our daily routine of getting up in the morning; getting ready to go to school or work; walking to the bus stop or car; walking around the office or school during the day; coming home; just going about your day. We take for granted the number of steps, movements and interactions we do during a regular day until they are no longer there. So how can we replace these steps, movements and interactions when we are restricted?
Ways to maintain physical well being
- Get dressed I the morning like you are going to work or school;
- Maintain a breakfast, lunch and dinner time and eat at those times.
- Maintain a wake time and a bed time and have a routine for each; For example in the morning, brush your teeth, comb your hair, do some exercises — we’ll get to some suggestions in a later upcoming post. At bedtime, brush your teeth, get changed, do a few wind down exercises and stretches – again we’ll to some suggestions later in the post.
- If you are working from home, create a dedicated office/work area. Have everything you need to do your job or schoolwork. Eg. Laptop, books, papers, paper, pencils etc.
- It’s very easy to sit and forget about the time
when you have everything you need and want at arms length. Make a conscious effort to get up and walk
around every 45-60 minutes. If you are
prone to loosing track of time, set a time for every 45 minutes and take a
“body break”. This is a great term a got
from a student! What do you do during a
“body break”?
- Get up and walk around; inside and around the house; go outside for some fresh air; take a bathroom break; a water break; Do a few stretches. The neck, shoulders and back are the most common areas that feel the tension. More are stretches and exercises
- If there are other people in the house, coordinate “body breaks” and go talk to someone, get some human contact. The main thing is to change your position.
- Fresh air and getting out is important. Make a point to get outside each day and get
some fresh air. This can be in the form
of,
- Going for a walk
- Meeting up with a friend a friend and going for a walk or just being outside and talking
- Going to the grocery store. You still have to eat and stock up on toilet paper so go out at different times and get provisions.
- Go for a drive around the neighbourhood
- If you’re a dog owner, you dog will be thrilled with all the walks they are going for; take your dog out with you when you go out for a walk or fresh air break.
- If you are still a smoker, smoke outside. It’ll get you moving, stretching and some fresh air.
- The weather is slowly getting better, jogging, cycling, roller blading are activities that you can get start getting involved in that will get you out, moving and fresh air flowing through your body.
- Spring is coming and for the gardeners out there, it will be gardening season soon enough. Being out with nature and gardening is both a physical workout and good for the mind as well.
In many cases, working on one’s physically well being can help with one’s mental well being. Below are some ways to keep one’s mental acuity active.
Ways to maintain one’s mental well being
- Listen to music.
- Be creative. If you have projects around the house, revisit them.
- Any hobbies you may have that you have a hard time getting to, do them now. A lot of time is being saved by not travelling to and from work. Use that time for yourself.
- The days are getting longer so there is more sunshine, try and situate yourself by a window while you’re working and studying and some of those rays.
- It’s very easy to get caught up in all the news about COVID-19 and related news. Make a conscious effort to find “good news” to read and listen to. Find a show or movie to watch and share with friends and family.
- It’s no one’s favorite activity but clean the house. Many if not all house cleaners are not working at the moment, so we have to clean our own homes. It keeps the home clean and it keeps the body and mind active.
- This may be the perfect time to try that new hobby, e.g. drawing, woodwork, knitting, etc.
- If there are others in your household, board games is a great way to connect socially and get the mind working and active.
- Try new recipes. We have to keep eating and eating healthy will help keep us strong and our immunity to viruses strong. There are many sites online for recipes. Try something new.
In the upcoming posts, we’ll post up some suggestions of exercises to help overcome the prolonged time indoors and sitting. We’ll also offer some sites to find recipes to try. Try and enjoy this time with seemingly less options. Staying healthy is always important but staying healthy during social distancing is paramount. Learn some ways to stay motivated while working and studying at home.
