The psychology behind home isolation: what does having to stay at home do to us?
I have a weird feeling in my stomach. That kind of flutter, you know, that you're nervous. Because what awaits us in the coming time, with the corona crisis?
As a psychologist, I find it fascinating what happens, as a human I find it quite scary. Only first-degree family can now attend a funeral. Weddings are being canceled. The economy is heading for a recession. In the next two months, 70 to 90 percent fewer people will travel by plane. Spain, France, Italy are locked down. America is following suit. Are we too laid-back in the Netherlands, are we handling it ‘too softly’? I'm afraid so, because I think we still don't know half of it. That we don't really see the seriousness, that we don't realize what is happening in hospitals right now. According to experts, an even larger wave of corona patients is coming, and the question is whether our healthcare can handle that.
Whoever can, stays home now. That's strange: empty trains, empty offices, empty restaurants. This forced home isolation does a lot to us. Because: it brings out the best in us. From nothing we become so social and kind as from a disaster, war, or pandemic. I see it happening in the street: one person leaves groceries for another at the door. My mother-in-law brings soup without coming inside. I talk long and often with friends: how are they doing? And does my Omi have enough food at home? Yet it's not all sweet and fine, this home isolation.
Because being in quarantine – even if it's in your own home – leads to mental problems after a while. From China, we know what kind of impact this can have: most people were depressed, bored, stressed, and lonely after a few weeks. Almost half of the people felt anxious: and that's understandable. Your world suddenly feels different. In fact: when I go outside now, it feels like it's wartime. No one dares to talk to each other anymore, we walk around each other, we barely dare to leave our homes. Everything feels scary. There is no toilet paper available anymore. And I have an empty agenda: for now, we do nothing but stay at home. That feels lonely.
In the Volkskrant it says: ’People are social animals,’ says Paul van Lange (58), professor of social psychology at VU. ‘Human contact is almost as essential as water or food. Especially in times of uncertainty, fear, and stress, interaction with people is indispensable.’ I completely agree. We cannot do without others, without having something to do in a day. So go gardening, walking, get sunlight if you can, and make the best of it. And have conversations, whether by phone or not. Social contact ensures that your brain stays fit, especially your prefrontal cortex. Keep it active, otherwise, the chance of falling into depression becomes greater and greater.
I'm at home with my husband and children and honestly? My children think it's very nice that dad and mom are around so much now. We play, crawl, and build towers of blocks. The beautiful, innocent thing about a child: they don't understand at all what is happening in the world right now. And sometimes that's just as well.
Source: de Volkskrant
