Human health has been closely intertwined with environmental health. By the term “environment,” I refer not only to nature or relationships found in an ecosystem but also to the immediate physical milieu of an individual or what is termed as “personal space.” Before the pandemic, the notion of personal space was more fluid and receptive due to the ease one had in “re-framing” the environment and reorienting oneself. However, during the pandemic, the personal space of humans was restricted in so …
Read moreHuman health has been closely intertwined with environmental health. By the term “environment,” I refer not only to nature or relationships found in an ecosystem but also to the immediate physical milieu of an individual or what is termed as “personal space.” Before the pandemic, the notion of personal space was more fluid and receptive due to the ease one had in “re-framing” the environment and reorienting oneself. However, during the pandemic, the personal space of humans was restricted in so many ways through lockdowns and various forms of isolation. This article intends to re-interpret concepts, such as of “physical environment” and “personal space,” in light of the COVID19 pandemic and illustrate how this reinterpretation affects the nonphysical aspect of health. This re-interpretation aims to reflect upon how the understanding of such concepts transition from that of being spaces that are comforting and freeing to becoming boundaries that are constricting and suffocating. Interactions among individuals have become rigid and strained as people seem to encroach inevitably on boundaries—especially those concerning “public spaces-turnedpersonal space.” This encroachment has given rise to conflicts, silent or not, that consequently affect one’s mental health.
