Author: DanielX

THIS IS THE MIDDLE OF A MOMENT OF SOCIAL ISOLATION. We are stuck in our homes, forced to stay, no further contact with other people excluding online connecting, of course. Coronavirus (COVID-19) has approached and taken much from us. Life will never be the same. (That is to say, we’ll all be more careful with washing our hands and personal hygiene. The pandemic will end, sooner or later, we won’t stay in our houses forever.)

A recent study shows that long terms of social separation can lead to feelings similar to famine. Why is that though? Why do we feel a craving feeling just near identical to hunger?

Primarily, being cut from interacting with friends and neighbors have similar attributes to the deprivation of food. Everyday we go to school or work, we are open to interact with all kinds of people. Whether if it’s your neighbors, your classmates and colleagues, your peers and friends, or your fellow workers, we all interrelate on a daily basis. This is the same when it comes to food. Everyday we wake up to find a delicious, scrumptious scent of, I don’t know, maple-syrup-dripping pancakes, as the aroma dances up your nose. Eventually we’ll get accustomed to the feeling of having quotidian food. Now hear this, what happens if I take away all your food? Most people would start worrying slightly, then (after a while) freak out, say: “NOOOOOOOOOOO!!! I can’t starve to death right now! I just want a perfectly normal life!” (slight exaggeration) But that is just the outside feeling. When you are lacked of food for a long time, your stomach starts to growl. Your tummy feels empty, and soon perhaps in the time of 1 day, your stomach will start writhing in pain. I too, had gruesome experiences feeling that feeling. One time I just ate breakfast for the day, and for the rest, I didn’t eat, because I was bored. The next day, I woke up, feeling dizzy and throbbing in the stomach. Imagine that feeling for many days, weeks, or even months. That’s what it is like to be restrained and prevented to go out and interact. (at least similarly)

When you are trapped in your home, the urge of your inner conscience to go outside and interconnect with other people just grows greater and greater. Especially since we all expect to meet other people. Sure, interacting with people EVERY day might seem monotonous as time passes, and you just might want a break, to stay at home for a while, but won’t it be same scenario when you are at home as well? At least interacting with people is better then being bored. The feeling of being bored of interacting with no one is far greater then the feeling of boredom of interacting with people too much. And I don’t think many people will become bored because of interactions. Well, every day all you do interact, whether it’s at school or at work, et cetera. What happens if your presumptions are taken away? You have a sudden change in life. Sooner or later, the urge of interacting with people will pop right back, and this is like hunger and thirst.

Ultimately, social isolation is similar to hunger because hunger is a deprivation of food and energy and social isolation is a deprivation of interrelations and interactions. If we take away your friends, it’ll be like taking away your food. When hunger happens, your stomach growls. When social isolation happens, extreme boredom and pain happens. This is the symmetry of two different things.

Warning: In this piece Shakespearean English is used, and in a very bad way. It is used to match the language of the old days, please do not make fun if used improperly.

The feeling of curiosity

Burns in thy heart

What is it out there? 

Here shall thee start

There are many places

Where thou can travel

Thou shall step afoot 

On stone and gravel

Where is your destination?

The choice is for thee

Is it the Gobi Desert?

Or perhaps India or Italy

Thou shall travel far

Thou shall gain friends

Thou shall discover new places

And reach the journey’s end

Now out thee go

Find some far out places

Go achieve thy dreams

Spot the unknown spaces

Us humans have been in 2 worlds. One is where you are fully conscious, and you spend most of your time in. This is the world where you wake up, where you dress and eat, where you exercise and think, et cetera. This world is called reality. The other one is a world we enter mostly at night. In order to go to that world, you must go through a portal. For most people, their portal is a bed. Others it may be a couch. This world, the birthplace of dreams, is the world of sleep. What exactly is sleep? Scientifically defined, according to Google, “Sleep is a condition of body and mind such as that which typically recurs for several hours every night, in which the nervous system is relatively inactive, the eyes closed, the postural muscles relaxed, and consciousness practically suspended.” Why is sleep important? Sleep is the brother of consciousness. Without consciousness there is no sleep, and without sleep there is no consciousness. Consciousness allows your mind to experience new things each and every day, while sleep works alongside consciousness and allows your mind to file out that day’s experiences throughout the system.

However, many people are sleep-deprived. This is major issue. Sleep deprivation is causing many people to have health-damaging conditions, sleep is important for a good mood, and good sleep means a good body. People need to obtain a sufficient amount of sleep every day.

First and foremost, poor sleep is a lot of times the reason why people are having some health conditions. For example, poor sleep is related to depression, and many teens have little sleep each day, which means teens are sometimes prone to depression. Other unaccustomed symptoms also may occur, such as headaches and drowsiness. The article “How Much Sleep Do You Really Need?” by Jade Wu illustrates, “Having an unstable schedule can cause daytime sleepiness one day and insomnia the next, which confuses both you and your body.” This means a lack of sleep is a major distraction to your body. This matters because people need decent quality time to fulfill their everyday needs and to-do’s.

Moreover, sleep is one of the determining factors of mood. If you have a good sleep, the next day you might have a great mood, and your attitude to everything will be much better. On the other hand, if one day you have poor sleep, the second day you might scream at someone and then start weeping. The text demonstrates, “A recent meta-analysis including over 1600 participants confirmed that sleep restriction is associated with poorer attention and thinking. We’ve known for decades that sleep deprivation disrupts mood.” This proves that a lack of sleep can often affect your temper, to yourself and to others. This is significant because other people are trying to live their normal day as well, and it is bad for unnecessary conflict.

Last but not least, sleep determines whether your body is benefiting or damaging. Poor sleep is linked to a higher body weight, while good sleepers tend to have healthier diets. Having good sleep minimizes your chances of getting heart disease or stroke. These are just some examples. The article “The Benefits of Slumber” mentions, “It affects growth and stress hormones, our immune system, appetite, breathing, blood pressure and cardiovascular health. Research shows that lack of sleep increases the risk for obesity, heart disease and infections.” This exhibits that sleep can affect many factors of health. This is vital because everyone needs to maintain a good physical condition in order to live a fit life.

Ultimately, people, young or old, need to keep track of the hours of sleep and have an adequate amount of rest time. They need to prevent harming conditions, gain a fine mindset and spirit, and maintain a healthy body. I encourage you to sleep a few hours more. “Sleep is the best meditation.”

Between the bridge of dream and reality

You wake up early in the morn

In your bed you soon realize

A new day is born

You get up from your bed

Sleepiness deteriorating

You open the window to see the sunlight

The day ahead is waiting

You go out for a walk

Nature calms your mind

Trees are thriving, grass is growing

An experience for a lifetime

You breathe, inhale and exhale

You meditate and relax and quiet

You learn, you read; you listen to music

You gain nutrients on a healthy diet

Today is mission accomplished

Your mind was fully engaged

Night is arriving very soon

Your good night’s sleep awaits

Who are you?

Take some time to ponder

Why do you exist?

You think and wonder

What is the meaning

The solution, the answer

Of the reality of you

However it may occur

Are you a human

A dog, a cat, or a mouse

Do you live in a tent

A mansion, or a house

Do you enjoy rice

Or oatmeal, or bread

Do you prefer running

Or brainstorming the head

Love yourself

Set goals in your life

Be proud yet modest

Work very hard and strive

Know thyself

Said an wise old man

Continue to learn about yourself

As much as you can!