It’s a whole new world out there. States are opening up. Restaurants are allowing dine in. Salons are welcoming customers in to fix quarantine mistakes. Sports teams are resuming games without fans.
America is open for business but it’s far from back to normal.
While some folks are diving in head first, others are continuing to stay home. I am part of that second crowd.
I found out recently that I won’t realistically go back to my office until 2021. Yet seeing society transition to a new normal has been really hard for me.
I understand there are many of you who don’t believe you will get COVID. And many of you who feel it’s worth the risk — you’ll be fine. I’ll save my eye rolling and educational lecture for a different blog but I am not willing to take the same risk. For myself because of my immune system and also for others. I care about not endangering anyone else.
At the risk of sounding like a super millennial — finding out I’m not going back to work and knowing it’s still risky to resume “normal life” has been heavy. Really really heavy.
I want to first — as always — acknowledge my privilege and be grateful for where I’m at. I have a job, benefits, a safe home, food, a support system — I have so much that I’ve also given to others because I believe we all should.
That being said, I’m a human being and a really social one at that. Ask my mom, I have always talked to strangers. At no point have I been shy. In fact one of my favorite things about traveling the world is talking to the people in each country. So knowing that I won’t be at ball games or traveling the world for awhile, that’s really hard. Even sitting in a restaurant isn’t something I’m comfortable with right now. No more drinks with friends at a local bar. All of that is not worth the risk.
This is the situation we are in. Now that I know it’s not just a couple month break, I am trying to figure out how to adapt and engage in a way that gives me a social life and a sense of connection to what makes me happy while still respecting the boundaries in place because of this virus.
I know I’m not alone in feeling exhausted by virtual socializing. It isn’t the same. I am also thankful it’s an option that reconnects me with some incredible people. I’ll continue to take breaks when I need to while still investing the time and energy because it provides an important connection with others.
When shelter in place is lifted in my county, I’m planning on escaping to the coast with two girlfriends for a bit. Its a way to safely have human contact that doesn’t cause the anxiety of massive groups. We can cook, chat, have some wine and just connect.
Thinking about how I’m planning my next few months or even year — the common denominator is connection. We may not be engaging with strangers and making new friends like we have in the past, but we are more aware than ever where we spend our time and energy. I am really enjoying figuring out that I can and should say no to people that drain me. In turn I should be re-engaging with the people that give me life.
My advice for those of you that feel hesitant to jump back into the world is to embrace that. Do not live in fear, but it’s ok to be cautious. It’s ok to take longer than others to get to “normal.” Quite frankly you are smarter for it.
Invest your time and your energy into the people who respect your need to tread lightly. Back away from anyone who is giving you more anxiety than joy. Choose to be present with the people you gift your time to. It’s a really cool time to remember that you only get one life, and life as you know it can be forever changed in an instant.
Focus on peace, joy, and compassion. Moving forward and for however long this takes, be gentle with yourself and others. Take it day by day if you have to in order to stay sane. Choose to come out of this with a new perspective and a new outlook on what and who you value. Time is limited. You don’t get it back. How do you want to remember your life?