Socialising Post-Covid
If the limit to your conversation prowess this past year has been to wade through Zoom meetings, quizzes and catch ups, nag your family to pick up their mess, or make passive-aggressive comments to your dog - you may feel out of practice now that we’re returning to life as it was before.
For some, the idea of returning to normal is exciting, with many socialites embracing their new freedom. But for others this is not the case - with the thought of socialising inducing a sense of dread.
Re-charging your social battery after months of isolation will be difficult for a lot of people. However, social skills aren’t something you lose all together - they just need exercising from time to time in order to improve them.
Research into isolated groups, such as soldiers, astronauts and prisoners, has found that social skills can wither much like a muscle, if neglected. If you are isolated from others for long periods of time, you will end up feeling uncomfortable, awkward and unable to tolerate what was once normal.
It’s important to remember that social awkwardness is not a disorder, but rather a collective experience of those who are isolated and it’s happened to everyone over the course of the pandemic. You are not alone!
Bearing the above in mind, it’s important to be kind to ourselves - remembering that our social skills really have taken a battering over the past 18 months.
Getting back into the swing of things
Socialising is important for our wellbeing, staving off feelings of loneliness, sharpening our memory and cognitive skills and increasing our sense of happiness. It even keeps your brain young, which is why it’s so important to work on getting back into the swing of it.
It’s all too easy to avoid socialising, turning down a lunch invite, retreating to your room and sticking on a film instead. But it’s important that you encourage yourself to be social, putting yourself out there and embracing any awkwardness.
With enough time these tricky situations will season your people skills - restoring you to the social butterfly you once were!
Socialising for brain health
In a study published by researchers at the Cognitive Neurology and Alzheimer’s Disease Centre, it was found that individuals aged 80 and above, with the mental agility of 50-year olds, all had one factor in common: positive social relationships.
The researchers discussed that their positive social relationships could have a biological relationship to the greater thickness of the anterior cingulate gyrus (an area of the brain that is responsible for cognitive function and motor control) and higher density of von economo neurons previously reported in other ‘super agers’ around the world.
By consistently socialising and maintaining their friendships, they had stunted their mental age by 30 years and increased their brain health significantly!
Socialising for your mental health
When experiencing social anxiety it can be easy to hide away - avoiding the real world and sitting with your own feelings. For some, this is a coping method and it’s nothing to be ashamed of. However, in some cases further isolation can actually trigger mental health episodes - making the situation a whole lot worse.
In a study funded by the Health Research Board, they found that conventional treatments of depression and anxiety could be supplemented by social support from family, friends and the community in the battle against mental health problems. The researchers stated that ‘increased social interaction helps sufferers to rebuild their self-esteem which in turn enables them to maintain positive relationships and friendships’.
The participants were encouraged to take part in a social activity for at least 2 hours every week, including watching a movie, going to a concert or play, visiting a gallery or museum, having a coffee with a friend, or enjoying conversation.
By the end of the study, all participants reported feeling better about themselves - having more confidence to socialise in their community and experiencing fewer symptoms of their depression.
Socialising certainly won’t cure depression and anxiety, but it’s clear that it can help to equip individuals with the skills needed to tackle life’s difficulties.
In conclusion
Spending time alone is certainly important for re-charging your social battery, but it’s crucial to find a balance: making time for your friends and family and pushing yourself out of your comfort zone.
Get yourself back out there and embrace the awkwardness (whilst also being Covid safe)!