It’s 2020 and a brand-new craze is sweeping the land; physical distancing is the name, staying away from others is the game. 

To stop the exponential curve of the novel COVID-19 virus, a moderately fatal yet extremely contagious illness, the population of the globe has been asked to self-isolate, self-quarantine, and avoid unnecessary trips within the community. All social events, suspended; all live events, cancelled and postponed. We discuss the art of physical distancing in the article “What Exactly Is Physical (Social) Distancing and How Do You Do It?”. 

But how hard is it for us to stay apart? 

Are human beings simply too hardwired for social interaction? Australian songwriter Ben Lee once sang that cities are “living proof that people need to be together”, a statement that implies humans crave social contact. Surely, living in isolation for an extended period of time cannot be mentally healthy. So how can we engage in healthy physical distancing while maintaining a healthy frame of mind? How can we feed our synapses (those neurotransmitters our brains crave so dearly) and do it while not overindulging in maladaptive behaviours? As much as our bodies now rely on physical distancing, our minds require “social tethering”.  If we are to foster resilience in this crisis, we must be able to maintain a sense of connectedness. 

In many exploratory sports such as mountaineering, spelunking and glacier crossings, the participants will often form a “rope team”. All the members of the team are linked together by an ordinary safety rope. The purpose of this rope is to protect each individual from falling or becoming somehow lost to the group. While this comes at the cost of a slightly elevated danger to the group as a whole, it dramatically increases each individual’s safety. By tethering themselves together, individuals in the group make the journey more secure for each teammate without being in close proximity. 

So how do these ropes relate to us? 

Humans are incredibly social animals, and we receive a lot of physical and psychological benefits from social interaction. Our sociality alleviates loneliness, our presence can assuage fears, and provide the comfort, conversations, moment sharing, hugs, and snuggles that we require to be our best selves. There is an extensive list of the psychological benefits humans derive from social interaction, from reduced risk of depression and anxiety to reduced risk of dementia. Likewise, there are many physical benefits, from healthier blood pressure to a reduced risk of Alzheimer’s and some forms of cancer. Simply put, being social helps us to be healthier, happier, and stronger, both as individuals and as a community. 

But how can we do that when we must remain apart?

We must adopt the practices taught by the mountain climbers and the glacier hikers and “tether” ourselves socially.  We must find ways to somehow stay connected to all of the vital anchor points in our lives in order to avoid falling or getting lost. We have to ensure that our “rope team” is hooked up to the line, and that nobody has been forgotten. Luckily, we live in an age of fantastical worldwide communication. We can easily stay in contact with many people in our lives at varying levels of intimacy, depending on the relationship. We have the privilege of videoconferencing with friends, family, classmates, or colleagues at the simple push of a button. Furthermore, many of us have extra time right now; time that can be used to talk, laugh, cry, talk about love, talk about Rick and Morty, or talk about nonsense. 

So, who is on your rope team? Who is your anchor? Who or what is your safety rope? Now, in this time of physical isolation, it is more important than ever to remain connected and tethered to your world. 



Written by Brock Andrew Stephen Pollard, M. Psy. Candidate, B.A.

Edited by Chantal Legere, M. Psy. Candidate, B.A. (Hons) 

Photo by Riccardo Bresciani from Pexels