Step-by-step advice for surviving isolation from an astronaut, a journalist, and a political prisoner, who each spent long stretches alone. Click on the links and look at the videos for elaboration.
Scott Kelly is a retired NASA astronaut who spent nearly a year on the International Space Station.
- Follow a schedule
- But pace yourself
- Go outside
- You need a hobby
- Keep a journal
- Take time to connect
- Listen to experts
- We are all connected
- Wash your hands
Jason Rezaian is an Iranian-American journalist who served as Tehran bureau chief for The Washington Post. He was convicted of espionage in a closed-door trial in Iran in 2015 and was held for 544 days, including in solitary confinement.
- Don’t spend all your time online.
- Read books
- Exercise (up and down the staircase if necessary)
- Plan for the future
- Laugh
Natan Sharansky was held in solitary confinement in a Soviet prison for nine years:
- Remind yourself why you’re there: “This is a kind of war in which each of us is a soldier.
- Don’t depend on outside events. Create your own world e.g. Read a book. Learn a language
- Laugh and sing
- Keep up with your hobbies
- Feel connected
