As we navigate through a Summer of change, it’s clear that we are on the up and things are feeling more bright. Naturally, many of us are experiencing a plethora of emotions and even more naturally, we understand that well, things won’t be the same as before – and to be honest, that’s a pretty healthy thing.
Scrolling through social media posts, I can’t help but identify the fact that number one, many others have experienced similar emotions to me. And number two, the majority of us don’t have it figured out yet.
Thank heavens that I’ve had a pretty positive quarantine life. I’ve either had a friend, yoga mat or pile of books nearby. Meanwhile, my job kept me busy for, at times over 60 hours per week. I’ve had the most wonderful team who have been there to be super helpful, kind and uplifting. At the same time, it’s been a bit of a whirlwind and there are days I can’t believe I need to make plans at the weekend to go for drinks or a date or just not lie on my bed reading another book. Where did the time go?
Moving out of the Pandemic, there are emotions that naturally arise and as always, being aware of them is key at every juncture. Breaking them down has certainly been helpful for me, hopefully it’s the same for you.
Social Anxiety – Ehhmmmmm how do I talk to people? Should I be wearing a mask? Are others feeling the same? How about smiling…? I feel a bit mad smiling at random strangers but well, it lifts my own mood exponentially. The list goes on and will likely continue to. It’s totally normal to feel social anxiety as we start going on nights out, dates and in random interactions with other people. Our social circles didn’t go beyond 5-6 people for long periods of time so how about we ease ourselves in gently and understand that this is totally normal.
Grief – I don’t know about you guys but as I get back to ‘normal’, my life is totally different to what it was before the Pandemic. Beforehand, I had some different people in my life work-wise, romantically and in my living quarters. Some friendships changed immensely during the pandemic and some disappeared totally. I’ve reconnected with childhood friends because I had the time to do so and thankfully, I’ve been able to work on myself so much that there are days I’m super tired of self-development. With all the goodness that’s in place, there is some parts of the older pre-pandemic life that it’s okay to miss. Accept that and be okay with it before moving through these new chapters.
Mid-Life Crisis – I know this isn’t an emotion but well, it seems pretty relevant right now. Noticing this being quite common around me over the last couple of months, I reached out to a friend to understand a bit better what was going on. People seemed to be reflecting on and making massive life-changing decisions as they manoeuvred through these times. I spoke to a psychiatrist friend who reminded me that ‘June, people aren’t used to containment and being with their thoughts so much. It’s sparked a lot of new thinking and it’s like a bunch of people are going through a mid-life crisis together.’ SO, if this is the case for you, don’t feel bad. There’s a lot happening together when it comes to this juncture of over-thinking.
It’s okay to not have it figured out – Just because we’re experiencing going back to this new normal, doesn’t mean all the answers need to be ready and waiting for you. Indeed, it’s great to take actions and move towards your next moves, that doesn’t mean you have to be okay with all of it or to find it super easy.
Feel free to share your thoughts and comments in the fields below 🙂