Phone, wallet, keys.. sh*t, my mask.
It may look like people and things around us are returning to normal,but it is okay to be feeling indifferent, confused, withdrawn, or just ‘different’ about this new normal we are all experiencing.
There is so much uncertainty around us.
- We are mourning the loss of our past life
- We are unsure what our future looks like
- We may still be afraid of getting sick
Our schools, campuses, or jobs have gone haywire. If we have returned to work, we are returning under abnormal and sometimes just weird conditions. We may have seen our close co-workers be unable to return to work due to layoffs or continuing to deal with the pandemic at home.
We also may be feeling bad for asking ourselves questions that feel insensitive to other changes in the world; will I ever be able to return to the office? Will I ever be able to fly again? Will I ever be able to go out without a mask?
What is next?
What is the next rule, the next working condition, the next standard, the next normal that we are expected to effortlessly adjust to?
What do we do with all of these questions and unknowns?
Control what we can: we may not be able to control the rules and regulations around us, but we are still able to make a choice about the situations we put ourselves in. We can find places, people, and activities that we feel comfortable with. There is still joy and comfort to be had, even if we need to look a little further for it right now.
Be okay with being different: if your comfort level or your ‘normal’ looks and feels differently than those around you, be okay with that. We all come from different backgrounds, carry different weights, are responsible for different things; it is only to be expected that we are all comfortable with different levels of socializing, returning to normal quickly or gradually, or feeling differently about the changes being put in place. We were not the same before the pandemic, we will not all be the same after the pandemic.
Move past the worst case scenario thoughts: we’re talking to all of our anxious people out there – our anxiety never predicted a global pandemic – the worst case scenario out there. It’s time to give ourselves a break and quiet that voice in our mind telling us the worst is coming. Ya’ll, we made it through a pretty bad few months. Let’s acknowledge the resilience that we do have.
Maintain routine and self-care: even if you are unsure of your new schedule or new normal, maintain that level of normal that you can control and continue to practice your routine and self-care practices. Even on days it is difficult, don’t neglect your skincare routine, meditation/yoga/exercise practices, getting ready for the day, eating well, so on and so forth. This will reinforce our own normal day in and day out.
Continue to adapt: within your own level of comfort, continue using that resilience that you have been practicing since March and adapt to the changes being put in place. If you are feeling comfortable, test the waters with businesses opening and socializing within the guidelines set in place. Not feeling comfortable with that yet? That is okay. Maybe you are working on adapting by helping your toddler become comfortable wearing a mask, or slowly creating healthy boundaries with the news. There is no right or wrong path for resiliency building.
Click here for more information on grief counseling.
Check out our Instagram and Facebook page for more updates like this.
Interested in chatting more? Find us here!
