Living In Isolated Areas

A well rounded healthy lifestyle includes not only a physically healthy body but also a healthy spiritual and emotional existence. Taking care of the psyche should be just as important as physical exercise and a balanced diet.

Socialization is an important component of a well-rounded, healthy lifestyle. Isolation and a lack of interpersonal skills increase the stress of everyday situations and contribute to negative self-esteem.

Many people work away from home these days, often being away for weeks at a time. It is especially important to maintain a healthy lifestyle in these situations where your personal contact with significant others is reduced. Working away from home has many pros and cons; it is important that everyone in the family is aware of the feelings each other experiences when separated and reunited. Reuniting after small, regular breaks, can often cause confusion as everyone's world is suddenly turned up side down over and over again - the key is to talk about it. Things can also be tough when you are living in isolation with others. In these situations it is important to have time to yourself. Don't expect things to always run smoothly, and don't expect that you should always have the answers, either. Check out our page on "Relationships in Isolated Places" for some useful tips and contacts.

Involvement with social or special-interest groups, charitable organizations, religious groups, etc. increase an individual’s sense of community and social support as well as providing opportunities for developing interpersonal, organizational, and problem-solving skills. These skills will be helpful in the workplace, the home, and other potentially stressful arenas. Healthy social involvement also provides fun and relaxation. Active socialization increases an individual’s satisfaction and enjoyment of life. Maybe there is a local committee you can join, or maybe you're passionate about something (e.g. photography, wildlife, church, fishing expeditions, watching Aussie Rules games) and would like to start your own club or pursue your own hobby? Find something that fits in with your environment. Remember there are no set rules for being creative and constructive.

Physical activity also provides fun, relaxation and stress reduction. Many forms of physical activity also provide personal growth opportunities as well as a mechanism for meeting others with similar interests. Regular physical activity provides opportunities to enhance socialization. If your employer provides a gym or any physical group activities - join in. Remember you're not trying to be Olympic athletes, you're maintaining a balanced lifestyle.

Personal motivation and direction are enhanced when coping skills are high, stress is manageable, and goals are reasonable and desirable. Re-evaluating, restating, and refining personal goals are important steps to maintaining personal motivation. Motivation and direction are especially important for achieving goals involving a great amount of work and time to fulfill, such as the completion of a course and the building of a career. As your interests develop and change, it will be important to periodically re-think your goals and strategies. You may find that your interests, opportunities or circumstances lead you in a different direction than originally anticipated and goal revisions may be necessary. In your effort to fulfill those goals, remind yourself of the benefits you will gain at points along the way and at the fulfillment of your goal. Adequate rests and breaks from your work are necessary for maintaining motivation. Time spent in other activities will pay off in reduced stress, enhanced creativity, and a clearer focus on your goals.

Use the time away from family and friends to evaluate your current life situation. Following are some suggestions to help you assess your week:

1. Keep a journal for one week of significant everyday-life events and your physical, mental, emotional reactions to those events. Include events that caused you either positive or negative stress. In other words, anything that occupied your thoughts or feelings or caused you to make a mental, emotional, or physical adjustment. An example of a journal entry might include a test or paper, a conversation or relationship situation with a friend or family member, a personal accomplishment or shortcoming, a surprise or disappointment, etc. Don’t list everything! Just a few well chosen entries will give you a good look at your coping mechanisms. For each entry, focus on your attributions, your self-talk, your motivations, and your ability to handle the situation:

• What were your thoughts and feelings about the situation?
• Did you attribute credit or blame to anyone? To whom and why?
• What did you "say" about yourself and to yourself?
• What actions did you take and what motivated those actions?
• Were you prepared for and able to cope with the isolation?
• Could you have avoided negative feelings by approaching the situation differently?
• Will this event prepare you for coping with future isolation? If so, how?
  

2. Based upon your journaling experience, identify and list a few personal goals for coping with isolation. You may include physical goals as well as cognitive and affective goals. An example of a physical goal might include taking slow deep breaths in order to relax, or to exercise in order to relieve tension. An example of a cognitive goal might be to learn positive self-talk or to mentally organize information before reacting. Affective goals will focus on your emotions specifically, such as practicing a different emotional response to common stresses. Once you have identified these goals, plan a strategy for achieving each. Briefly describe these strategies.

3. List the two personal goals you consider most important at this time in your life. What strategies do you use to maintain your motivation and direction toward those goals?

4. Think through your current day to day activities. Are you finding enjoyment and fulfillment in living? What modifications would you make to your life in order to enhance enjoyment?

Adapted from the Physical Education Activities Program, Assignment 4: Psychocial Considerations, Department of Exercise and Sport Science, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599 http://www.unc.edu/courses/phya/


August 2001