We are all looking out. The image is courtesy of Joshua Rawson-Harris.
I am a free spirit that is meant to roam this Earth. I have had a lot of freedom in my life. Wherever my heart wants to go, I’ve traveled there. I got in the car and drove until I saw a dot in my rear view mirror. I got lost in a Costa Rican rainforest. I have slept under the stars, in a dumpster, and on a boat. I am the Dr. Seuss of adventure.
I’m staying six feet from everyone and most things I care about. I realized last week that I may be experiencing a bit of cabin fever, as I sat in my home office dressed in a bathing suit, a top knot bun, yoga pants, and body glitter. I knew it would be difficult. The brakes on all travel would be limited. I still want to do my part by practicing social tardiness.
Is it Distressed? Check to make sure. Is it upsetting? Check twice. What about restlessness? Yes, yeah! It is a state of mind. It is a strange combination of anxiety, boredom, and irascibility that is sometimes hard to define, but you can feel it in every fiber of your being. Some of us are very social creatures and we work, think, act, and enjoy life better when we have contact with other people. The current state of things can turn a comical case of cabin fever into a serious saddlebag of negative consequences if you are prone to intense bouts of anxiety, depression, or loneliness. When a person is stuck at an isolated location or confined quarters for an extended period of time, cabin fever is a distressing claustrophobic or restless feeling.
There are feelings of hopelessness. The effects that accompany this are welcome.
Self worth should be decreased. Self doubt should be increased.
Body ache and pains are caused by inflammation. Gain or loss of excess weight.
Sleeping difficulties and fatigue. The immune system is weak.
And a lot more. It is difficult to focus or brain fog.
Like a baker’s mixer. Stress from loneliness and isolation can put you at greater risk for more serious medical and emotional problems. Almost 9% of Americans have no health insurance. You might not have the option of calling your therapist, scheduling extra sessions with your life coach, or reaching out to your primary physician if you have inadequate health insurance. You might feel like you are doing okay on the outside, but not so well on the inside.
You are adjusting to a new way of living. You can beat the blues before they hit you, because of the isolation and social distance. The following ways have aided me in avoiding feeling like the walls are closing in.
Whatever you are feeling, it may be in passing or linger for months with no change. Few simple lifestyle changes can combat cabin fever head on, but they can help you get started in the right direction, since none of the above will completely eradicate your feelings of fatigue, loneliness, or social claustrophobia.