Your Personal space (some people call it a buffering zone) is something most people take for granted. The reason why it is taken for granted is not that we don’t appreciate it but because we invade it without thinking or being aware of it. It is the space around an individual, where they feel private and safe. Another reason for personal space is so that we won’t stumble into each other.
What happens when personal space is invaded? There are many physical and psychological effects of personal space invasion, some of which include:
● Extreme self-awareness and suddenly we forget how to act ‘naturally’
● Limited gestures and movements
● Reduced eye contact
● Turning away or aside from the intruder
● Always taking a step back
● Adopting a defensive position which includes less smiles, folded arms, tense posture, and frowning
● Probably stopping whole the conversation entirely
We all need that space to be free, and it mostly about protection, focus, and reducing stress. There certain reasons why an individual needs personal space, some of which include:
Personal space is important to be oneself
To be oneself, an individual needs space to grow mentally and do things that make them feel whole. Sometimes friends and family may invade your personal space, and the best thing the individual can do is to tune them out. The individual should also grow psychologically because everyone needs time to themselves. When their space is invaded, people tend to overreact or overdo things, which isn’t the best idea. Nonetheless, it is good to have friends and family around, but their times when privacy is needed.
Personal space helps reduce stress and grudges
In areas of being stressed or having grudges, one of the best things to do is to have a personal time to take a breather. It takes just a split second to do what you might regret, so personal space is very crucial so as to avoid making a harsh decision.
Personal space helps an individual realise their mistakes
It is impossible for an individual to be always right, so it is best to take some personal time to reminisce on what you did wrong and how to deal with it. Especially if it involves another individual, it makes it a whole lot more important.
Personal space helps a person think productively
Personal space helps a person avoid unwanted disturbances that might hinder them from being productive. It also prevents negative thinking, and in your personal space, you are the boss.
Your Personal space helps in solitude seeking
Personal space helps an individual realize that there is someone in them who needs love and care (also called self-love). The world is moving so fast that we all need to stop and relax becomes no one runs forever. While trying to match up to the rest of the world, we tend to forget or suppress our inner needs, so it is necessary to spend time on ourselves and tune out the rest of the world.
Personal space serves as a communication channel
While talking or gisting, some people find it uncomfortable to stay close to the second party. They prefer some distance between them and their gisting partners. This is due to the fact that they feel invaded when gotten close to, which can be understandable if they once had a bad experience. While for some people, it just their nature or a habit to be distant from their partners.
Other reasons may include;
Self regroup
Protection
Source(s)
Personal space – sourcesofinsight
7 Reasons To Make Room For Personal Space In Your Relationship – lifehack
Why is personal space so important? – quora
Personal space – study-body-languge
