Is it just me or have you noticed how cranky the children are? It’s not just homeschooling that isn’t going so well; Ms Manners and Sir Laugh-a-lot seem to have gone out the window too!

Hilarious videos and pics are filling up social media reflecting these experiences, helping us to normalise a little of our dismay. However, many of us are left wondering: “Why is it so?”. After all, we have organised our work-spaces and printed out school worksheets. We have baked cakes for math and science class, played games, watched old movies and even tried yoga. But still, the kids are cranky – and lately, I have noticed it in myself too.

After combing out my mom/teacher’s wild mop into a clinical psychologist’s calm curls yet again, it dawned on me; interacting within a wider circle might be the missing ingredient! So, I decided to run a little test. I arranged for my children to video-call some friends. I did the old-fashioned thing myself and phoned a few people. Almost magically thereafter, the house seemed refreshed with happy energy. The kids attended to their school-work with a renewed vigour. I felt a lot more relaxed and was inspired to write this piece.

Humans are social beings. We know our ancestors relied heavily upon one another, living in groups for survival. From infancy, psychologists have observed that humans seek interaction with others, they seek a community of their own. And, true human interaction includes both verbal and nonverbal communication i.e. it involves all of our senses if we are to express ourselves fully.

During times of crisis, the human instinct is to interact with others to find the best survival strategies, to check-in and validate that our feelings are normal. This interaction allows people to feel closer to one another and supported. Prior to lockdown, this need would have been satisfied subconsciously through routine daily activities. Even though in our current reality that is all gone, we seem to stick to our pre-lockdown habits of using social media, ‘Dr Google’ or text messages to stay in touch. And so, the crankiness continues!

Endless scrolling through other people’s posts or reading reams of facts are poor substitutes for the ‘human touch’. Sitting in a webinar waiting to be heard is often more frustrating than fruitful. Writing might allow some release of emotion and organisation of thoughts, but that too is temporary. None of these is quite the same as brainstorming and sharing with a responsive being. A much deeper level of interconnectedness is achieved when we can receive and share information using all of our senses - and within a larger group.

Lockdown may continue to ease over the next few months, however social distancing is our new normal. For healthy adaptation it is important to feed your whole being with the missing ingredient: humanising your technology-based interactions.

Speaking live to all of your pre-lockdown circle on a regular basis will go a long way to helping you come to grips with the change to life as we know it. So, when the crankiness starts to crank up, go on and be old fashioned. Pick up that phone...or try a WhatsApp video call. For a more chaotic commune with ‘your people’, Houseparty or Google Hangout allow fun group calls. You’ve got this, give it a whirl!

Is it just me or have you noticed how cranky the children are? It’s not just homeschooling that isn’t going so well; Ms Manners and Sir Laugh-a-lot seem to have gone out the window too!

Hilarious videos and pics are filling up social media reflecting these experiences, helping us to normalise a little of our dismay. However, many of us are left wondering: “Why is it so?”. After all, we have organised our work-spaces and printed out school worksheets. We have baked cakes for math and science class, played games, watched old movies and even tried yoga. But still, the kids are cranky – and lately, I have noticed it in myself too.

After combing out my mom/teacher’s wild mop into a clinical psychologist’s calm curls yet again, it dawned on me; interacting within a wider circle might be the missing ingredient! So, I decided to run a little test. I arranged for my children to video-call some friends. I did the old-fashioned thing myself and phoned a few people. Almost magically thereafter, the house seemed refreshed with happy energy. The kids attended to their school-work with a renewed vigour. I felt a lot more relaxed and was inspired to write this piece.

Humans are social beings. We know our ancestors relied heavily upon one another, living in groups for survival. From infancy, psychologists have observed that humans seek interaction with others, they seek a community of their own. And, true human interaction includes both verbal and nonverbal communication i.e. it involves all of our senses if we are to express ourselves fully.

During times of crisis, the human instinct is to interact with others to find the best survival strategies, to check-in and validate that our feelings are normal. This interaction allows people to feel closer to one another and supported. Prior to lockdown, this need would have been satisfied subconsciously through routine daily activities. Even though in our current reality that is all gone, we seem to stick to our pre-lockdown habits of using social media, ‘Dr Google’ or text messages to stay in touch. And so, the crankiness continues!

Endless scrolling through other people’s posts or reading reams of facts are poor substitutes for the ‘human touch’. Sitting in a webinar waiting to be heard is often more frustrating than fruitful. Writing might allow some release of emotion and organisation of thoughts, but that too is temporary. None of these is quite the same as brainstorming and sharing with a responsive being. A much deeper level of interconnectedness is achieved when we can receive and share information using all of our senses - and within a larger group.

Lockdown may continue to ease over the next few months, however social distancing is our new normal. For healthy adaptation it is important to feed your whole being with the missing ingredient: humanising your technology-based interactions.

Speaking live to all of your pre-lockdown circle on a regular basis will go a long way to helping you come to grips with the change to life as we know it. So, when the crankiness starts to crank up, go on and be old fashioned. Pick up that phone...or try a WhatsApp video call. For a more chaotic commune with ‘your people’, Houseparty or Google Hangout allow fun group calls. You’ve got this, give it a whirl!