A guide to isolation from the ultimate sea survivor

The first device to break down in isolation is the sense of time... it does help to have a routine to orient you about time. Getting your routine right is also the easiest to hack ABHILASH TOMY, navy commander

NEWDELHI: In social isolation and not quite sure how to deal with it? Reassuringly, you’re not alone. There are many who have been there and done that. And perhaps no one has done it better than navy commander Abhilash Tomy, who spent an astonishing 275 days in complete isolation.

To be sure, this was not isolation in the comfort of one’s living room but under extremely trying circumstances and against all of nature’s fury trapped at sea. In an exclusive account written for Hindustan Times, Tomy shares his story and gives out a message of hope.

“My exposure to solitude was the result of volunteering to voyage alone at sea. One such voyage resulted in a debilitating spinal injury and being stranded in a remote corner of the planet for three days waiting for rescue,” says Tomy. The most important tip to survive a situation like that, according to the navy officer, is to establish a clear order of time in one’s mind and set a routine.

“The first device to break down in isolation is the sense of time. Sleep and meals become irregular and a few days later one can’t tell if it is a Monday or a weekend. It does help to have a routine to orient you about time. Getting your routine right is also the easiest to hack,” he says.

Keeping oneself in good mental health is a key objective, as is keeping one’s memory sharp. Tomy lays stress on having a philosophical outlook and focusing on the immediate rather than the overbearing task ahead. Breathing exercises and meditation are tools he deployed to make his mind obey his command during trying conditions.

Carrying out these strategies can be so productive, according to the sailor, that one can almost fall in love with solitude and enjoy its company to the fullest.