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Good morning. It’s Monday. It’s January. It’s a global pandemic. Life is…challenging. So, I’ve put together a thread. I’ve been researching the psychology of isolated environments, thinking that there could be information in there that could help us in this period of isolation
So think Antarctica, think space.
The consensus from the research is that isolation is inherently stressful. We are, after all, a social species, designed to function best in groups. Yes, even the introverts among us are programmed to need SOME level of social interaction.
The consensus from the research is that isolation is inherently stressful. We are, after all, a social species, designed to function best in groups. Yes, even the introverts among us are programmed to need SOME level of social interaction.
(Don’t tell me husband this. He’ll be devastated!)
Social interaction is adaptive, after all. Far easier to fight off a bear in a group than alone. I’m assuming. I should make it clear, I have not tested this assumption.
Social interaction is adaptive, after all. Far easier to fight off a bear in a group than alone. I’m assuming. I should make it clear, I have not tested this assumption.
So when we send people to extreme, isolated environments, where they are to be confined to a small space, amongst a small group of people, removed from all the social supports they are used to back home, and unable to leave…it’s tough.
Research tells us that in these people - in these people who have been SPECIFICALLY SELECTED to be cool under pressure & able to cope - an increase in the stress hormone, cortisol, can be seen very early on.
We can also see a reduction in levels of cortical activity. In essence, your brain becomes less energetic. This is likely an adaptive response as your brain learns to cope with its new environment, in which there is less to see, less to do, fewer novel stimuli to interact with.
It makes sense, when you think about it, that you don’t need as much brain activity when there is nothing new to process. That does, however, have a knock on effect. On the ability to concentrate, to rationalise, to pay attention to things.
I think we all recognise this.
I think we all recognise this.
In the Antarctic, researchers have found what they call the ‘Third Quarter Effect’. Essentially, this means that in (roughly) the 3rd quarter of their isolation period, there is a real dip in mood, mental functioning and ability to interact with those few people around them.
It looks a lot like burnout. Remember burnout? That which happens when we have been too stressed for too long? We end up with thinking issues (check), limited affect (such as reduced reaction to reward, just a general feeling of being blah), fatigue.
Now, I could talk forever on this topic, but I won’t because I think we’ve all suffered enough. But what I will tell you is that research has found that, once isolation is over, our cortisol levels drop back down extremely quickly.
Which means that whatever isolation does to us and our brains, it is not permanent. We will recover.
This period is tough. For me, it is perhaps the toughest part of this journey. But I remind myself that Antarctic personnel, that astronauts, they go through the same thing. And understanding that it is meant to be tough, bizarrely I find that helps.
Next time, I’m going to ATTEMPT (brain fog permitting) to talk to you about coping and how astronauts and the Antarctic people do it and what we can learn from them. For today, just remember - we will get through this.
