For a while now I have realized that I am still in a COVID shell. I do go out and socialize. But my mindset is still controlled by pandemic thinking. Perhaps the more accurate way to explain this is, I now have “pandemic habits.”
Here’s an example. A few weeks ago, a friend said, “now we can plan a trip to the city again!” I looked at her like a deer in the headlights. I was feeling overwhelmed thinking about the prospect, how do I do it? The tasks to prepare and make such a trip seemed challenging and difficult. At the same time, I realized that I had made that trip or similar ones many times in the past, never thinking this way. What had happened?
COVID has changed almost everything for almost everyone. Venturing out, planning a trip now seemed momentous to me. For years I have made no trips more than a few hours from home.
A note here, life will never go back to “the way it was.” I have changed. We all have. There are probably some recent habits and activities that I do not want to change. Some changes may be for the better. However, it’s time to come out of the cocoon.
So how do I break out of my COVID shell? Of course, safely! Here are some ideas and suggestions. I hope they are helpful.
- First, do some reconnaissance, identify your living patterns now. How are you spending your time? For example, more time on social media, or reading or cooking? Do you want to keep or change these habits? Note what works and what doesn’t and ease into some changes.
- Let’s assume it is a mixed bag. What mindsets or habits would be better changed? Let’s go with my surprising resistance to travel. Identify what feels uncomfortable, or even fearful. When you know what these are, it is easier to figure out what to do. (In my case, it was thinking through the logistics. I hadn’t done that for so long, I forgot how! Also, I worried about my animal companions. I hadn’t left them for years! I started thinking about the specifics, the logistics, and the wheels began to turn. I talked with a friend and my vet, and my concerns for the dog and cat diminished.) And, I’m taking a trip in January.
- Make a list the things that you haven’t done and would like to do. For example, go to a show, or the movies, or invite friends to dinner. Note what seems to be in the way of achieving them. A step at a time, work through resolving those issues. Talk with a friend about your concerns. Ask someone to attend an event with you. Learn more about any possible risks and how to mitigate them. (We all still have masks.)
- Above all, reach out. Being in a cocoon or shell is not how humans are designed to live. We are social beings. No matter whether an introvert or extrovert, we all need human connection and interaction.