Being Single And Alone In Iso
By
Bianca
Being four out of five weeks into the lockdown and with the unknown of how long the stay-at-home orders will extend for - how are we all feeling?
Well, we asked you last week and 77% of you said lockdown has affected your mental health. Now, if you’re living at home with ‘rents or flatmates, you’ve got social interaction to keep you sane. But for all you singles out there, living alone and excluded from the intimacy bubble, you’ve been reprieved of any human connection.
It’s stiff - your mate who’s been chopping a girl for a few months can show them a visit but my bestie of ten years can’t? The intimacy bubble is classified under sex, compassion and common sense - whether it’s a new fling, rebound or a long-term partner, if you’re rooting, you’re exempt from the rules. It may be all good for you rabbits out there but it’s a massive stitch up for the singles in this city.
If you’re living alone while working or studying from home, not seeing anyone can be detrimental to your mental health. It leaves you singles thinking, “where is the empathy for us?". Suffering the most with loneliness, paired with isolation leaves for a negative headspace and increased chances of depression.
Reported on by The Feed, mental health experts agree that there is a gap within the restrictions that leave room for improvement. Studies found in previous lockdowns that one in two people living alone felt lonely, according to Jill Newby from the Blackdog Institute.
While everyone is staying at home to do their bit, NSW has not yet paralleled Melbourne's “social bubble” that was introduced during their second wave of lockdown last year - which gave people living alone the opportunity to choose one person to come and go within their residence.
Whether you’re taking a break from dating, want a bit of independence or just enjoy your own space - no matter what your reason is for living alone, nobody should be subject to complete isolation, for a month and with no end date in sight.
At this stage, the only option NSW Health Minister, Brad Hazzard has said for people living alone, is to go "outside and go for a walk" with one other friend.
Until such a bubble is considered and formally established, we have to keep checking in with our mates. It’s crucial in making sure we’re all okay during this tough time. We’ve gone through this before - if you’re not handling iso well, be reassured, that’s completely normal.
In a time where we’re connected more than ever online - reach out to your friends and family. Message your sister or brother out of the blue, send some of your favourite memes. We’ve got this, team!
We at Year13 encourage anyone struggling to speak out about their mental health - reach out to these guys for a chat:
Lifeline 13 11 14
Kids Helpline 1800 551 800
MensLine Australia 1300 789 978
Beyond Blue 1300 22 46 36
Headspace 1800 650 890
