On February 9th over the lunch hour, Jesse Adams joined us from Howatt HR to talk about coping with isolation and loneliness. Whether living in isolated rural locations of Nova Scotia or feeling the affects of the COVID-19 pandemic, can leave us with the feeling of isolation and loneliness.
Jesse reminded us that we are just like batteries, we can be anywhere from charged to empty on any given day. Personal and situational stressors can drain our battery such as stress, burnout, anxiety, weather, chronic issues, workload, distrust, depression, injuries, and incidents.
You need to intentionally recharge your battery by prioritizing sleep, being active, eating fruits and vegetables and finding a connection rather than self-medicating.
The COVID-19 pandemic has added additional stressors to our daily activities such as being restricted to our homes and farms, limited or no social gatherings, restricted access to regular services, COVID-19 protocols, and fear of becoming ill. These may also increase our feeling of isolation and loneliness.
We as human beings, need a social connection to feel as though we are cared for, valued and as a part of a group or community. We are programmed to focus on social thinking such as interpreting others thoughts and feelings. Where there is a lack of social connection, research has shown that we are more vulnerable to disease and death above and beyond traditional risk factors.
Isolation is the perceived barriers to making social connections such as technology, self-confidence, mental health, work, and personality.
Loneliness are feelings caused by perceived inadequacy of social connections.
If you are experiencing signs and symptoms of isolation and loneliness, perhaps the following tips may help cope with those feelings:
- Positive self-talk
- Be aware of how you show up
- Leverage support systems
- Be clear: loneliness is a feeling not a fact.
A few tips that may help others that are experiencing signs and symptoms of isolation and loneliness include:
- Make time to connect
- Practice humility
- Don’t assume
- Ask questions
Join us March 18th for another lunch hour micro-skill from 11:30am – 12:00pm, Navigating Crisis. To register e-mail info@farmsafetyns.ca or call 902-957-2785.
For additional micro-skills in Maintaining Mental Fitness, visit the Farm Safety Nova Scotia COVID-19 webpage
If you feel you are struggling with the feeling of isolation and loneliness, reach out to the Farm Family Support Center at 1-844-880-9142 it is confidential and immediate support is available 24/7/365.
Alternatively, the Mental Health Crisis line is available 24/7/365 by calling 1-888-429-8167.
