How to Survive Social Isolation

[Music] [Applause] [Music] what year is it regardless of whether you're under house arrest or under quarantine from a worldwide pandemic social isolation is not going to be easy if you're not careful it can be as deadly as smoking 15 cigarettes a day so we've put together some expert

advice to help you get through it after all we know you have the time to watch this video here's how to survive social isolation social isolation may be new to you but people survive long periods of it all the time take astronauts for example the longest stretch ever

spent in space by one astronaut was 438 days by russian astronaut Valeri polikov one thing he says helped him survive the isolation was the strict schedule of maintaining the spacecraft it helped to keep his mind occupied and his days structured but you don't have a spacecraft to maintain

so what should you be doing to survive should you maintain your regular schedule how good video chats affect your chances of surviving and why could going crazy during this isolation be a good thing luckily for you we've put together a definitive list of six tips from experts and

survivors to answer all your questions number one limit your screen time it might be tempting to fill your lonely days by consuming all the endless online content that's available to you but staring at a screen all day every day can be very bad for you not only can

it lead to a sedentary lifestyle it can also cause vision issues headaches and chronic neck and back pain on top of that the blue light from digital devices suppresses the sleep promoting hormone melatonin which could cause trouble sleeping number two get some sunlight speaking of sleeping remember to

open your curtains and let the Sun Shine in this can help you maintain your sleep-wake schedule which can be disrupted when people are isolated in complete darkness messing up this schedule known as your circadian rhythm can also lead to depression and fatigue number three take a creative journey

you have all the time in the world so why not get a little creative with it like something paint something or finish that rock opera you've always dreamed of oh let go of the need to do something important all the time and just let your mind wander it

can do wonders for your relaxation rejuvenation and personal growth number four limit your news updates if you're isolated for something like a quarantine you should try to limit the amount of time you spend checking the news only check reputable sources and select one or two times each day

when you check them checking too often can cause unnecessary stress and make the time seem to pass more slowly number 5 reach out to support others in isolation socially isolated doesn't have to mean socially disconnected in a lot of these situations you'll still have access to your phone

and internet communications so why not use them research shows that those with weaker social relationships are 50% more likely to die over a given period of time than those with stronger relationships in other words having social connections is very important for our well-being positive social support can help

us adjust to challenges and cope with stress reaching out to offer support to others is a good way to feel less alone and it helps you to control your own anxiety by giving you a sense of purpose number six it's okay if isolation drives you a little crazy

social isolation may not always feel comfortable it could make you cry laugh yell and dwell on things that your mind usually wouldn't have time for but that might not be a bad thing let this be an opportunity to push your boundaries of awareness of time of yourself and

of your relationships you may be able to leave this social isolation with a greater appreciation for all things in your life that you used to take for granted so there you have it now you know how to make it through this tough time with it at least a

little bit of your sanity intact and hey why not share these tips with your friends because above all else it's important to stay connected with others during a challenge like this now that you've survived social isolation it's time to return to the real world if everyone else was

also living in social isolation that whole time the real world might look a lot different than you remember but whether the economy is in shambles or the world has run out of toilet paper we'll have a video to help you survive whatever awaits you [Music]