This Memorial Day weekend, many Americans are focused upon not only the traditional beginning of summer but also the re-opening status of the last few hold-out states. More and more it’s looking like, sooner rather than later, the whole nation will be fully back to “normal.”
For many, this day could not have come soon enough. The bars are back open, a mask is not required, and it’s time to party. Some with this viewpoint were there all along, questioning the necessity and merit of all of the safety protocols or even the existence of the coronavirus. Others have gradually reached their personal limit for sitting around the house on quarantine. They just can’t stand the thought of another day on the sofa. So, they’re up and out. No fear, no misgivings. One hundred percent in.
Getting back to “normal” many sound great to many other people in theory. However, in practice it gets a bit tricky. This subset of our country has taken the virus and safety precautions seriously. In some cases this may have been after experiencing firsthand the ravages of the virus. In other instances health-related vulnerability may have pointed the way to prudence. For still others, sheer fear of illness – sometimes elevated by media coverage – has kept folks at home for the better part of the past fifteen months. Getting back to “normal” may be forced now by an office re-opening and the prospect of losing employment by continuing to stay at home. It may mean summoning the courage to go to a grocery store in person, with delivery services being reduced. It may mean resuming in person meet ups not to be left behind, rather than catching up with friends and relatives via Zoom, text or telephone.
Many individuals in this second category are needing to talk back to their anxiety in order to resume “normal.” Heading out to the office is not second nature like it once was. The grocery stores can be crowded. Other people may sit or stand too close.
So, how to manage this anxiety? It may help to consider a few tips:
1. Take one day at a time. Our capacity to resume “normal” today may not be the same tomorrow. This may seem counter-intuitive, since it would seem that, with each succeeding day, there is less “risk” in resuming “normal.” However, getting back to all the regular things takes energy that most of us have not been expending. We may tire more easily for a while. We may misjudge what can be done, taking on too much at one time. We all need time to recalibrate.
2. Be mindful that everyone’s social skills are rusty. Just as it took us all time to learn how to relate to each other online, it will take time for us to remember how to interact in person – or whatever this hybrid version of online/in person our lives have become. It is easier to avoid, or at least minimize, difficult situations and interactions in the online world. We all need to recall how to respond appropriately in impromptu conversations and practice making eye contact. We all need practice staying “in” conversations. For some, building the endurance for more extended in person social gatherings will take time.
3. Appreciate that each person has a unique perspective and pathway in the new “normal.” During this time of readjustment, we need to remind ourselves to be patient with each other. We all have had different experiences these past fifteen months. For some, there may have been significant change with multiple losses or changes in family dynamics. For others it may seem like time has stood still and literally “nothing” worth talking about has happened. Reminding ourselves that we have these differences within the shared pandemic experience may help us be more success as we return to “normal.”
See Reopening Plans and Mask Mandates for all 50 States. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/us/states-reopen-map-coronavirus.html (Retrieved May 31, 2021).