Socialising and social interactions require certain behaviours to be learnt and used often. Almost like muscles that without use will become weaker. So it’s not surprising that two years’ of lockdowns and social distancing have taken their toll on our ability to socialise and pick up where we left off pre-Covid.
Difficulties of socialising
We were told not to socialise in person for so long that when the world opened up again, many of us were initially resistant. Being in an actual room with a person felt awkward, the ability to make small talk had been forgotten and simply being physically close to someone else was initially uncomfortable. We almost had to relearn these behaviours. Luckily, our social muscles are fairly resilient and so the recovery and ‘back to normal’ process shouldn’t take too long.
Many of us have experienced loneliness and social isolation. Both of these have an effect on our brains, with loneliness leading to increased stress and greater likelihood of depression, paranoia and negativity. And because we are social creatures, we need social interaction to keep our brains healthy, including our memory and verbal recall. That might explain why you sometimes find yourself searching for a word or unable to remember certain things.
But the good news is that this doesn’t have to be permanent, and there are ways to rediscover your social skills. Here are some examples:
Coaching isn’t necessarily about discussing things in a structured way. It’s more about you saying whatever you want and in whichever order it comes out. There will be silences while we both hear and listen. It helps you get to the root of what is concerning you and heals the cause instead of masking it. We will find out what’s triggered it and will work through emotions and feelings. This will all help you cope better.
If you are feeling anxious, overwhelmed or nervous and lacking confidence and want to change this, then come and talk to me. Together we can work through how you’re feeling. Even if you are looking for support or accountability, take that first step and reach out. What do you have to lose? I am here, looking forward to having a chat and working through this with you. You are not alone. Making that initial call or contact is the hardest thing – so drop me a line and I’ll come back to you to arrange a chat.