eccentric during lockdown.
Which one of you is Alan?
'There's nothing to keep a lid on it': is lockdown making us eccentric? | Science | The Guardian
“Not sure if it’s because of recent times of lockdown etc but Christ I talk to myself a lot these days.” So tweeted the actor and presenter Emily Atack – and she is not alone.
Confined to our homes and freed from the judgments of others – perceived or otherwise – growing numbers of us are admitting to quirky behaviours, from talking to ourselves to singing more loudly in the shower or living out the fashion eccentricities we’d never have dreamed of in the office.
Psychologists told the Guardian that people are likely to become more eccentric over lockdown, displaying new or accentuated behaviours ranging from unusual mannerisms and daily routines to discovering unconventional interests.
Offbeat behaviour might be the result of needing the mental and physical stimulation previously attained from mixing in work and social environments, or a coping strategy subconsciously adopted in response to the stress of the pandemic, experts say.
Dr Sally Austen, a consultant clinical psychologist, said: “The development of eccentric behaviours is a consequence of having fewer people around to judge you. Being in an office environment holds you to a certain standard of behaviour. There’s no one at home to keep you to those checks and balances. There’s nothing to keep a lid on your eccentricities.”
The impact could be positive, though only in moderation, she said. “This could be a lovely thing: we could all discover more about ourselves. The only risk is if those discoveries go awry and go too far … if you find yourself doing something, the next question is: is it a sweet little eccentricity or is it harming myself or anyone else?
“Becoming obsessed with online gambling is very different to becoming obsessed with singing Barry White loudly when working, which probably isn’t going to do anyone any harm.”
Mark Webb, 58, a company director from Kingston upon Thames, has become unusually close to his garden wildlife since March. “I have individually named the birds who visit the feeder in the garden,” he said. “The pair of nuthatches are Nigel and Norma, the blue tits are Bobby, Brian and Brenda. There are so many goldfinches, however, that I have now run out of G names.”
Alan Jewitt from Cumbria has redefined his office dress code. “I decided my Christmas pullover should get more use than a couple of days a year,” said thesoftware developer, 62. “Also I prefer wearing shorts, so I spent March to November in a Gremlins Christmas pullover and shorts.”
Which one of you is Alan?
'There's nothing to keep a lid on it': is lockdown making us eccentric? | Science | The Guardian
“Not sure if it’s because of recent times of lockdown etc but Christ I talk to myself a lot these days.” So tweeted the actor and presenter Emily Atack – and she is not alone.
Confined to our homes and freed from the judgments of others – perceived or otherwise – growing numbers of us are admitting to quirky behaviours, from talking to ourselves to singing more loudly in the shower or living out the fashion eccentricities we’d never have dreamed of in the office.
Psychologists told the Guardian that people are likely to become more eccentric over lockdown, displaying new or accentuated behaviours ranging from unusual mannerisms and daily routines to discovering unconventional interests.
Offbeat behaviour might be the result of needing the mental and physical stimulation previously attained from mixing in work and social environments, or a coping strategy subconsciously adopted in response to the stress of the pandemic, experts say.
Dr Sally Austen, a consultant clinical psychologist, said: “The development of eccentric behaviours is a consequence of having fewer people around to judge you. Being in an office environment holds you to a certain standard of behaviour. There’s no one at home to keep you to those checks and balances. There’s nothing to keep a lid on your eccentricities.”
The impact could be positive, though only in moderation, she said. “This could be a lovely thing: we could all discover more about ourselves. The only risk is if those discoveries go awry and go too far … if you find yourself doing something, the next question is: is it a sweet little eccentricity or is it harming myself or anyone else?
“Becoming obsessed with online gambling is very different to becoming obsessed with singing Barry White loudly when working, which probably isn’t going to do anyone any harm.”
Mark Webb, 58, a company director from Kingston upon Thames, has become unusually close to his garden wildlife since March. “I have individually named the birds who visit the feeder in the garden,” he said. “The pair of nuthatches are Nigel and Norma, the blue tits are Bobby, Brian and Brenda. There are so many goldfinches, however, that I have now run out of G names.”
Alan Jewitt from Cumbria has redefined his office dress code. “I decided my Christmas pullover should get more use than a couple of days a year,” said thesoftware developer, 62. “Also I prefer wearing shorts, so I spent March to November in a Gremlins Christmas pullover and shorts.”
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