How to Ease Back into Post-Pandemic Life
For most of us here in the United States this past weekend marked the first holiday weekend without quarantine restrictions and we’re learning to ease back into post-pandemic life. The spring and summer seasons themselves are so exciting (especially if you live in the midwest like I do). But there’s even greater excitement about the sense of “normalcy” we’re all hoping to return to.
There’s no doubt that quarantine came as a shock to all of us. But we also adapted to that new way of being and we created new habits and routines to help us get through it.
Many of us are now breathing a sigh of relief to be able to finally see family and friends. But with that comes the return of feeling overwhelmed by the amount of things on our calendars. One common conversation I’ve been having with friends and clients centers around their feelings of stress, anxiety, and overwhelm with being busy and watching their calendars fill up so quickly.
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Here are a few ways to help you ease back into your new post-pandemic life:
Time needed: 3 minutes
- Decide what you want to keep doing.
While adopting our quarantine lifestyles many of us created some new routines we really enjoyed. Walking, cooking and eating at home, saving money, and having more family time are a few of the things many of us came to appreciate. Because things are opening back up doesn’t mean we have to abandon these simpler ways of life.
Decide what you want to keep doing and prioritize those things. Consider having a family meeting where you share ideas for what you want to continue doing. Then decide how you want to create time to keep those family routines. - Decide what you want to say no to.
Being able to say yes requires saying no. Think back to the things you were doing pre-quarantine. What did you dread doing? What do you look back on and appreciate that you didn’t do during quarantine? While some things are likely obligations you do want to keep even though they aren’t enjoyable, such as commuting to work, notice what you would rather not do anymore. Then decide and commit to eliminating those from your schedule.
Remember, in order to say yes to what you really want to do, you need to say no to the things you don’t really want to do.
Resource: Scripts for Saying No (Freebie) - Start small.
Let’s be honest. We’ve made some serious adjustments over the past 15 months. And because we did, it just makes sense that we’re also going to need to make some adjustments to ease ourselves back into our new “normal.” Start with adding in the things you really want to do or the things you’ve really missed. Feel free to say no or not yet. Think of saying no as a way of taking care of yourself and protecting your time for the things you really want to do.
- Communicate your needs and fears.
If there are things you’re concerned about, be sure to communicate your concerns. Share those with a loved one, friend, therapist, or coach. Sometimes the simple act of voicing your concerns can help you understand what you’re thinking and feeling. This understanding can help you make decisions that are best for you.
One Last Note!
You’re doing a great job! You’ve made it through a pandemic and you’re taking time to think about and decide how to best move forward. Celebrate yourself and all that you’ve done to get you here. If you want help navigating these next steps, sign up here to schedule your 60 minute free discovery call with me. I’ll show you how coaching with me could help you move forward in a way that is best for you.
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