When We Isolate
Has anyone ever fell into such a multi levelled rut that it feels as if life just no longer interests us? I don’t mean to refer to a suicide type of feeling. But instead it’s more like a depression type feeling, that we seem to just get used to, as it creeps its way into being the new norm. We may go through peaks and valleys as we go through our days, and they are different, unpredictable as each morning comes.
The important key is being able to come to a determination between the two. It may not be Clinical Depression. But it’s definitely something. Neither one however, should become “normal” as everyone of us deserves much more, no matter how hard life may be getting.
Patience is important, when it comes to losing our drive, energy, motivation, or life interest. I don’t mean patience, as in getting used to doing nothing, isolating in a dark empty room. But patience in the sense where we don’t give up on ourselves. It is okay to get stuck in ruts in life. Ones that seem to slow us down. One’s that seem to always make us tired. Consider the idea that this may just be happening, as a result of change. Change is something that happens to all of us. At random times throughout our lifetime. Are we changing? Or are we just hitting a road hump, which affects things like our hobbies?
Do an inventory of the type of hobbies and activities that you do enjoy doing. How have they been over the past few months?
Is there a possibility that you’ve scaled back from doing them, or instead, stopped doing them all together?
Sometimes when we have unexpectedly scaled back on enjoyable activities, it can get big and deep, before we even realize it naturally. We don’t come to realize it, until we’re seriously down in the dumps, and feeling that sluggish feeling. It can fester into multiple symptoms.
It’s important to realize that it can show itself in many different ways. It also can lead into other issues. Isolating, and withdrawing from friends and loved ones can be one of the major issue from it. Never underestimate just how important our interests and hobbies can be.
Try and do an inventory of social networks during this time. I’ll say it again that I do realize how hard it can seem to have to push and force ourselves into doing things that we really don’t feel too interested to do. I can speak from a long line of experience throughout different times of my life. I have also learned that the longer I stay isolated, the stronger and more lonely that isolation becomes.
Keep the people around in the loop and informed about the way we may be feeling. That too can feel quite difficult to do. It may feel like we are snitching on ourselves. But if we really want to get out of that isolated struggle, then we need to keep our people educated about what we are going through inside.
It’s okay to tell a true loved about our struggles. We involve them in our happiest moments, and it is okay to keep them in the loop on both spectrums. We can get ourselves back into an active groove, and we can look those struggles and times alone in our rearview mirrors. It’s possible, and you’re worth it.
-End
Michael Patanella
is a Trenton, New Jersey Author, Publisher, Columnist, Advocate, and Recovering Addict, covering topics of mental health, addiction, sobriety, mindfulness, self-help, faith, spirituality, Smart Recovery, social advocacy, and many other motivational nonfiction topics. His articles, memoirs, and stories are geared towards being a voice for the voiceless. Helping others out there still struggling.
