What is it?
\”We socialize, therefore, we are. \” This phrase is apt for humans. We have always been a social being. Since the time we were hunter-gatherers, having trusted relationships increased our chances of survival. But now, since, we have been behind closed doors for months, not only do we face economic recession but also a social one as well. The decline in our social interaction might have brought a change in our mental and physical health. This change, and the collapse in our social contacts, can be termed as Social Recession.
![\"Social](\"http://covid19.server.nuformsocial.in/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/anxiety-2878777_1920-1-1024x683.jpg\")
The Cause
Social contact is a key component of our growth and humans cannot survive on their own. The condition in which people are born, grow, live, work, and age, are the social determinants of health. Social connection is the fuel that helps us address the challenges in our lives and helps us to come out of our cocoons.
But when these connections are threatened, a cascade of stress hormones is triggered that produce well-orchestrated physiological changes such as increased heart rate, increased muscle tension, and thickening of the blood, and together they are called the fight-or-flight response, which has evolved as a survival mechanism enabling us to cope with physical and psychological threats. A recent study published in Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews revealed that people who are more socially isolated have higher levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) and fibrinogen (a soluble protein that helps blood to clot), both of which are associated with chronic inflammation and poor physical and mental health.
![\"\"](\"http://covid19.server.nuformsocial.in/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/connect-20333_1920-1024x683.jpg\")
Be advised
If the prevalence rates of social isolation and loneliness remain elevated, such changes are more likely to lead to a greater public health burden in the longer term. Economic slowdowns are easily measured, but it\’s difficult to quantify social recession. As people around the world retreat behind closed doors and sever connections with others, the damage it causes could be no less profound and long-lasting. It\’s high time that we acknowledge this problem. It\’s quite normal to feel anxious and lonely, but remember, we are all in this together. This too shall pass and till then, put the focus back on your self-care, eat well, exercise regularly, find ways to calm yourself, follow your hobbies, meditate and most importantly Relax.