Reentry After the Pandemic
Signs of normalcy are popping up all around us, and you may be having mixed feelings about them. On one hand, it’s nice to get back out into the world and return to in-person interactions that have been missing from our lives for so long. On the other hand, “pandemic reentry” can be a pretty anxiety-provoking undertaking. At CFI, we’re seeing how this turbulence is showing up at the most fundamental level: the family.
For some of us, our social skills are rusty, because we became accustomed to a more isolated daily routine. Now that we’re venturing out of our caves, our anxiety is heightened, and we may even feel embarrassed. How do you do normal conversation again? What are the rules for eye contact? Where do I put my hands?
Others of us still haven’t overcome some of the early COVID fears that governed our every move for so long, and our less affected family members are getting annoyed. They don’t understand our fears, and want us to magically be normal after two plus years of fear and panic.
Conversely, some of us are relieved to finally be back to in-person encounters, and are frustrated with our family members for clinging to fears they should no longer have. We feel like they’re holding us back, or adding negativity to an otherwise positive world, thereby tarnishing our experience.
The truth is that we’re all moving at different paces, and when you live in the same house, this can be a challenging thing. It’s difficult to coordinate rhythms under normal circumstances; now we’re supposed to figure out reentry together? It’s a tall order for families, and unfortunately, our patience has taken a hit. We’ve become short, dismissive, even hostile with our loved ones, and family unity is suffering.
What is needed now more than ever is patience. Patience with ourselves, patience with the world, and patience with one another. In a world of instant gratification and immediate results, impatience has come to rule the day in many households. Challenge yourselves. When you become frustrated with your mom, son, grandmother, cousin, sister, nephew…choose patience. Call on your own inner wisdom and grace, and forgive the humans around you for being human.
"Dealing with Pandemic Depression" Resource