Battling To Cope? - We've Got Your Back

Tired of being told to take bubble baths and bake bread to lift the spirits during Covid-19? So are we. Our experts explain how social isolation can affect your mental health, and give helpful tips to ease the situation for yourself and your children during this time.

- Robyn Lawrenson

For some, lockdown jolted excitement at the prospect of tackling domestic pursuits long abandoned and spending some much-needed time with family.

But this rose-tinted naivety turned on its head when people started losing their jobs, the fear of what a pandemic could mean for our health system and families set in, our children couldn’t return to school, and wondering if life would ever return to normal kept us up at night.

The excitement of an amplified hygge life (remember the trend for all things warm and fuzzy from back in 2016?) and quality time like never before began to wane – and anxiety set in.

We’ve had to take on many different roles over the last few months. As if we didn’t do enough already, we’re employees, parents, teachers and housekeepers. On top of worrying about our own mental health, we’re concerned about the mental health and wellbeing of our family. No wonder we’re feeling overwhelmed.

Research proves that social isolation can detrimentally impact your mental health. By understanding how your brain processes stress during social isolation and in times of crisis, you can help yourself and others more effectively.

WHAT SOCIAL ISOLATION DOES TO YOUR BRAIN

Why are we feeling so tired when we’re not doing anything particularly straining or physically difficult? There’s a reason for this, and it has to do with the hippocampus, the part of our brains responsible for regulating memory, learning, motivation and emotion.

The impact of social isolation on our bodies and minds has been studied in a variety of groups. One particular brain imaging study, published in the