Being an Extrovert in a Time of Isolation

By Alexandra Howe

During this time of great upheaval: Covid-19, race riots, curfews and extensions of stay

at home orders have the intention of helping the greater good of society but what happens to

the people on an individual level? For many, this time means total isolation from the people

they care about most. For some, isolation does not mean anything significantly different than

their normal lives perhaps because they truly enjoy the prospect of alone time. For so many

others the lack of social interaction means an inevitable road to an uncontrollable sadness.

As an extrovert by nature isolation means there is very little potential to derive energy

from friends, family and day to day interactions. For people who are unfamiliar with the feeling

of deep loneliness, I would equate the feeling to the emptiness that comes with a loss of a job

or a breakup with a significant other; sometimes the only solution is to spontaneously burst

into tears because there is truly no way to remedy the sensation of being alone in this

uncharted territory.

As the concern over peoples physical health begins to wane the concern about peoples

mental health begins to wax. Individuals who have suffered from deep loneliness will not be

able to instantaneously bounce back. In the same way that health care and support for people

suffering during the pandemic needed to adapt to the times, access to mental health resources

following this pandemic need to be adapted for the changing tides of social interactions.