Why lockdown affects us so much

If you have been struggling to cope with the self-isolation that the Stage 4 COVID-19 restrictions have imposed, then there are understandable reasons for this and you are certainly not alone. While there is good evidence to suggest that the necessary measures put in place are now contributing to a drop in new cases of the virus and hopefully will enable Victorians to emerge from this crisis on September 13 when they will be reevaluated, this has however come at a high price.

Mental Health
There have been a number of articles which have discussed the impact of lockdown on Victorians’ mental health and whilst highly tangible impacts such as the loss of employment, financial concerns, health and wellbeing of relatives (especially those living in residential care) would obviously give rise to chronic stress and depression, even those of us not directly affected by such severe situations are still impacted by the loss of direct contact with others and concern about the future. According to The Age, Lifeline Australia chairman John Brogden said “the service had received almost 90,000 calls a month since March, which amounted to a call every 30 seconds. This was a sign the strict lockdown measures were taking a toll on the mental health of Victorians”. Further, a recent ABC News article by Ian Hickie discussed the “behavioural consequences of ‘lockdown fatigue’" and referenced Sydney University's Brain and Mind Centre’s research into a simulation model to estimate the possible size of the impact of the pandemic on mental health and suicide rates concluding that their “most conservative estimates were a 14 per cent increase in overall suicide rates due to COVID-19 restrictions and the subsequent social dislocation and economic fall-out nationally”. They also estimated at least a 25 per cent increase in suicide rates in rural and regional areas with pre-existing high levels of unemployment and educational disadvantage”.

The Impact of Personality
In the work I do with business leaders and owners, I am often involved in personality profiling for improved personal performance, recruitment and high-performance team development. All the professional profiling tools that I am aware of are founded on the “Big Five Model” (also known as the Five-Factor Model) which is widely accepted by psychologists today. As may be inferred, the model describes five fundamental factors of personality one of which is known as “Extraversion” which relates to where we get our personal energy from.

The theory states that all of us will lie somewhere along a continuum ranging from ‘Introversion’ (reflective with a preference for our own space and time or with close friends and family) though to ‘Extraversion’ (outgoing persona that enjoys the company of teams and groups). It is important to note that there is no “right” place to be on this spectrum and we will all lie somewhere along it ("can you think of anyone in your life who clearly falls into either of these categories and see the connection with how they are coping during lockdown?"). Everyone can of course spend time on their own or mix with others, but those at the ‘Introversion’ end of the scale will be drained by spending a lot of time in the company of others while those at the ‘Extraversion’ end will become anxious spending significant time on their own. Anyone spending too much in either space for too long will also have their energy drained and will need to recharge.

Being human, we are a naturally social species who will seek out the company of others to varying degrees as indicated above, but those who tend to associate more with the extraversion end of the spectrum will be doing it especially tough during this time of enforced isolation. The need for connection for others may well be overwhelming for these people and without it they may become depressed and disenchanted.

I have a client with whom I met earlier this week. In all my previous meetings with him, he is upbeat, positive, energetic and forward-looking even when times are tough; clearly at the extraversion end of the scale. In my meeting with him this week after two weeks of enforced lock-down, even though his business is doing well (he runs a business that is considered an essential service so has not had the worry of having to shut down), the order book is full and he has a great family including a new baby daughter, I have never seen him so depressed. There was nothing that he could specifically attribute this to other than the fact he had not been able to meet with people externally the way he usually does nor interact directly with other members of his family, i.e. it was the social interaction he was primarily missing. I am quite sure that my client is not the only one going through this situation and indeed many will be experiencing the same or worse with no prospect of direct contact until September 13 at the earliest.

Mitigating the Impact
Whilst we cannot of course address the immediate issue of no social contact with others, there are some things that may help to mitigate this:

1. Utilise Remote Communication Tools.
The use of Zoom, Microsoft Teams and Skype has become de facto for those of us operating in service-related industries and these remote communication tools can similarly be used for social connectivity. Our Rotary Club has consistently had well more than half its members attend our weekly Zoom meeting which has clearly provide a valuable lifeline for those living alone. These tools can also be used for remote breakfasts, dinners, wine and cheese get-togethers and social evenings at which clearly everyone brings their own.

2. Absorb yourself in a new hobby or interest.
Just after the first lockdown I spoke to a music shop owner about how his business had been doing. He said that the first week or so of lockdown was tough but after that they had never done so much business on account of people taking up their instruments again or learning to play a new one for the first time. Are there things you always wanted to get done, but never had the time? There is likely to never be a better time than this to action these now.

3. Reach out to people
Think about personal and professional contacts that you have not spoken to for some time and simply reconnect for no other reason than to see that they are doing okay. Almost all of us would love to get a call from someone you have not spoken to for a while, so why not make their day?

Who Can I Turn To?
If you or anyone you know needs help, please take note of the following contact details:

• Lifeline - 13 11 14
• Beyond Blue - 1300 224 636
• Kids Helpline - 1800 551 800
• Suicide Call Back Service - 1300 659 467
• MensLine Australia - 1300 789 978
• Headspace - 1800 650 890
• ReachOut - au.reachout.com
• Care Leavers Australasia Network (CLAN) - 1800 008 774

Ian Ash ACC, AInstIB 

Managing Director OrgMent Talent Solutions - www.omtalent.com.au