Working in China can be a lonely experience.

Not lonely in the way that I don’t have friends and constant human contact or physical contact… I have a partner here in China and she is amazing and I have a couple of great friends that I connect with weekly.

I mean, intellectually lonely.

As I type this out and say it out loud it in my head, it does feel like a dickish think to say. Like I am some type of pompous ass and not just some wee guy from Glasgow in Scotland.

But it is how I feel. I think this is one of the reasons why I wanted to start to do some writing on this blog. Working my brain differently and being able to change some gears through a different process for thinking even if it is with arguing with my own thoughts and debating my own reflections.

It sort of works for me in a way.

Blogging is a compliment to my daily journaling and my daily Instagram upload… (both daily habits I have set myself to achieve) but nothing beats human contact and good old fashioned conversation.

I do have a weekly catch up some friends over food and a beer. That keeps me going, but sometimes I miss the variety of a full week of meeting people. A rich variety of conversation is an important part of being human.

I miss a conversation over a beer. A political debate, a chat about football, books, movies or sharing my week… sometimes you just miss your home town friends.

I can only imagine what it is like for people who are going through an extended lockdown because of Covid. It must be a real stress and it is likely compounded more if you are living alone or within a small household.

This will be a mental health stress and a strain on keeping as normal a life as possible during such times.

It is always good to talk and when it comes to mental health, I do encourage you to talk. There are many outlets and facilities that you can call to get that support. Please do that if you need that contact, it is a great feeling to open up to a professional. Cathartic.

This year has put pressure on everyone’s relationships and although the technology helps to keep in touch it does feel like there is something missing. Technology can only go so far at the moment.

Maybe the future will be like the holograms seen in the Star Wars movie, enough of the human in 3D to make the online conversations bearable and where you can engage on a much deeper level because you can see the full expressions. Sounds fun.

Body language is of key importance in any conversation and it will be interesting to see that in the near future, if it happens. Who knows, the pandemic has pushed technology on that quickly and changed people’s way of life and way of working that this just might be just around the corner.

How cool will that be!

As for my own situation, I will continue to look for great conversations where I can (please feel free to leave a comment below and I will respond) and if I still feel the same, a lonely brain, then there will be no hesitation from me in seeking professional help.

It worked for me before and I know that it will work for me again.

Stay safe in. mind, body and spirit.