It’s a busy time at my office, and I’m sure at your house too. Even if you don’t have kiddos at home there’s a feeling of nervous excitement in the air. Labor Day has come and gone, and I think we’re all a little wobbly on our feet as the memories of Fall 2020 echo in the backs of our minds. For myself and many of my clients, we’re ready to put the Time of COVID behind us, though the new indoor mask mandate and moving target of new variants are casting a shadow on our hopes for a “normal” school year. I’m in a hurry to teach my toddler how to keep her mask on for more than a second as I type this.
If you’re feeling a bit of general uneasiness, you are certainly not alone. Even if COVID isn’t something you’re actively thinking about very often anymore except maybe to ask yourself “should I buy more masks or get by on what I have left?” – your body remembers what happened over these past 18 months. The isolation. Fear. Chronic anxiety. It may show up as rumination for some of you, or perhaps simply as physical fatigue and perhaps a few mysterious aches and pains. For some, you are living the very direct consequences of the pandemic, such as grieving the loss of a loved one, being out of work, or being unable to travel to your home country due to new restrictions.
It’s not uncommon for a client or friend to say to me lately “I just feel off and I don’t know why.”
Well, we’ve all got plenty of reasons.
So what can we do about it? Besides having extra grace and patience for yourself and others, consider using this “Back to School” time to take inventory of your physical and mental health habits. Are there routines and norms you picked up during the pandemic that need to be left behind or adjusted? If you are going to make any changes to your personal habits, I encourage you to do so in the spirit of self-compassion and healing. Go slow. Be curious.
Would you like support in taking inventory of your personal habits in light of the changing season? Click here to schedule an appointment.