What to Do When Someone Invades Your Personal Space

Have you ever felt uncomfortable because someone stood too close to you? Violation of personal space has always been an issue, but it has ramped up in recent months due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Individual vary wildly in their response to other human beings. Some feel a heightened need for distance and others are desperate, after months of isolation, to close the gap.

Whether you are returning to the office or the grocery store or a conference or a family reunion, and whether you’re reading this now during the pandemic or years from now when it is (hopefully!!) a distant memory, you are in charge of your own boundaries and your own behavior. That means it’s up to you to determine what you’re comfortable with and enforce it. And it’s also up to you to notice others’ comfort levels and respect them. (I know. Being a responsible adult sucks. You have to do ALL the work.)

People who invade others’ space are often simply oblivious. Perhaps they’re the extroverted type who has never met a stranger. Or maybe they’re exceedingly kinesthetic and they learn and communicate primarily through touch and proxemics. Or maybe they’re three years old and haven’t gotten that far in their development yet. Whatever the cause, it’s not personal — they treat everyone the same way.