![]() Get a bird feeder for in front of your window or place fresh-cut flowers in the house. If you can, there are other ways to bring in the outdoors. If you cannot go outdoors due to where you live during the pandemic (such as an apartment, condo, or high rise), try to open up the windows to let in some of the fresh air and sunshine. Play with the kids, spend time in the pool if you have one, or even do yard work to keep your mind occupied. Spending time outdoors helps raise cognitive function and works to help minimize stress, improve your outlook, and make you feel better overall. While we cannot all run down to the beach or to a restaurant, you can spend time in your own yard if possible. There are a few things you can do that will help you minimize some of the effects of cabin fever. So, just because it is not on the spectrum of a traditional condition does not mean it doesn’t exist. However, talk to any mental health professional and they will tell you that the symptoms and the condition is valid. This also means there is not a traditional treatment for it. One thing to keep in mind is that cabin fever is not a recognized psychological condition. Yet, all of them can also be symptoms of cabin fever and isolation. The other thing to note is that these symptoms listed are also indicative of other mental health issues and are not always related to being isolated. It can be a combination of these, just one symptom, or sometimes, hardly any at all. Changes in weight (increases and decreases).Not everyone suffering from cabin fever will experience exactly the same symptoms, but many people report feeling intensely irritable or restless. Your feelings are unique to you and recognizing when there is a problem helps you be able to mitigate the issues faster. In fact, there is no need to scoff at how you are feeling or state that everyone else is in the same boat. It is important to be able to recognize the symptoms. And if you are a person who suffers from anxiety or other mental health issues, cabin fever may become even worse. And once you combine this tremendous boredom along with a lack of social interaction, it compounds the situation. Psychologists have even researched into the fact that these risky behaviors seem fun to those in isolation and can cause extremes in behavior – from political extremes to other problematic behavior. People need distractions and this sometimes leads to activities that are risky. ![]() And while our generation as a whole has not experienced this kind of isolation, in the 1800s it was known as Prairie Madness.īeing without the ability to socialize is one thing but when you add to it the boredom factor, it can become more serious. Some believe that it is due to having a specific routine but the main factors come down to boredom and lack of socialization. One of the unique factors of cabin fever is that it affects those alone and those isolated with others, especially when the other people are family members. Even those isolated together in work environments have sometimes seen those who have let cabin fever get to them to the point of doing dangerous things – to themselves or others. Yet, in extreme cases people have lashed out in unhealthy ways. Everyone gets bored, irritable, or restless sometimes. Now, all of those descriptive words seem relatively innocent. ![]() These include irritability, restlessness, boredom, excessive sleepiness, and a feeling of dissatisfaction. Still, researchers have determined some common symptoms that tend to go along with being trapped in the house during a winter storm (or otherwise stuck indoors). In fact, even people trained in psychological analysis have overlapping but not precise definitions of this term. Popular Science describes cabin fever in the following statement:Ĭabin fever is a folk term, not an official medical diagnosis. The first thing to know is what exactly cabin fever stands for. Here is a neat photo but if that one is not your preference, here is another It is a real condition that affects many and with social distancing rules in place, here is how to keep from getting cabin fever during the pandemic. Let’s face it, it’s not just Jack Torrance who got cabin fever in The Shining. Feelings of isolation, anxiety, and listlessness are just a few of the words to describe how it feels for some. With the threat of catching Covid-19 keeping people more isolated, it can be easy to succumb to feelings that you may not be used to. ![]()
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