Given our individual circumstances, each of our situations has been unique as we quarantine during this pandemic. For some, that may mean sitting on the front porch or spending time in the backyard, with a lawn or long walks to keep ourselves sane. But for many, especially those quarantining alone, the isolation may be testing the limits of our sanity, especially if confined to the inside of your home or a few small rooms if you’re in a congregate setting. One thing we probably all have in common? At this point, we’re getting restless and wondering how much longer it will be necessary to keep up the distancing. Yet if science is our guide, we’re likely in this for a while longer.

There’s even a name for this condition: Quarantine fatigue. We’re tired of the restrictions on movement and limitations on socializing, and many of us are even physically fatigued as a result. According to the National Institute on Aging, physical fatigue can arise out of emotional responses. So, if you’re feeling anxious, depressed, stressed, or without control, and add to that experiencing a lack of sleep or too much alcohol, you’re likely feeling physically fatigued at the end of each day. How to fight back? Suggestions range from more physical movement to less napping, but even if you respond accordingly, your mood may continue to be one of resentment and resistance.

So how are others responding to this? Cell phone data seem to suggest that many of us are beginning to move about more, whether or not our states have lifted quarantine and begun to open up businesses. Putting aside political protest, there’s a movement afoot for “quaranteaming” or creating “bubbles” with other people with whom you can feel safe. Multiple households are now developing pacts to commit to keeping each other safe yet also coming together to create social companionship not usually available in quarantine. So, for example, a recent post in the MIT Technology Review posited considerations if you plan on creating a “pandemic pod” with other households: What are the expectations and commitments of each member of the group? What rules will be set and how will you ensure that you’re each following the rules? What additional risks will you be exposing yourself and your loved ones to by participating in this “pod”? As the article noted, “with a great bubble comes great responsibility.” While the goal of opening up your social network during the pandemic is understandable, so too is the risk of infecting others, or becoming infected yourself. 

Dr. Julia Marcus, Professor of Population Medicine at Harvard Medical School, has written that we’re going to have to figure out some way to lessen the burden of the physical and social distancing we’re now experiencing while maintaining necessary precautions to prevent infection. While experts have warned us against a premature return to “normalcy,” we also know from other pandemics (such as the AIDS crisis) that “abstinence” is not a viable long term solution: figuring out low-risk ways for us to create a safe new normal probably needs to happen. In the meantime, as the weather gets nicer, many are out there urging us to stay the course, especially in the coming weeks when rates of infection are still rising. Writing an op-ed in The New York Times, Dr. Syon Bhanot of Swarthmore College implores us to remember that the virus is not changing- we are all still at risk of infecting others or becoming infected ourselves; we need to be strong for each other, as a source of support and a visual reminder (by wearing a mask) that we are still all in this together. And as for coping? Recognizing that social distancing doesn’t always cut it, even if you’re connecting by computer, nonetheless reaching out and supporting others may be just the way to do good for others as well as for yourself during this time. For suggestions like “connect five” (making five contacts a day), turn on your Zoom, and read more here.