All adult Americans will be eligible to get the Novel Coronavirus vaccine by April 19th, which means that our world is going to get back into the swing of things from pre-COVID-19 before we know it. This is great news, but being in lockdown for a year changes you — it changes perspective and affects mental health. When the world going back to how it was is all you’ve wanted for a year, it can be difficult to manage the emotions and stress that come with these major changes. In trying to put together my thoughts on this matter, this is what I found would work best in the transition back to an almost normal world.
First, I wanted to highlight that right now is the time to budget and save for when we can safely travel and go to big events. Take the time when everything is transitioning to save some of your money, work extra hard and plan for when the fun stuff comes back. Festivals like Ultra Music and Bonnaroo are gonna come back as soon as September, so remember the financial toll of these and be prepared for a pricey year.
Don’t get caught up in fantasy land — remember that everything is still risky right now. When you hang out with people, make sure that everyone is wearing their masks and practicing social distancing if they haven’t been vaccinated. Even if you’re vaccinated, it’s not foolproof unless everyone else has that vaccine too and we achieve herd immunity. Most importantly, keep following local guidelines and listen to what healthcare experts say on safety.
Keep your priorities straight. Remember your personal goals first and foremost, and don’t get distracted from achieving them. I know that the excitement of things opening and you and your friends getting vaccinated is something that we are all looking forward to, but don’t forget all the other things going on in your life. We all have work, school and other commitments. Devote your energy accordingly to what you want to accomplish first.
Remember that as much as you want to go and do everything with your friends and family, it’s just not possible sometimes. You can’t say yes to everything, even if you want to. If you get social anxiety in group settings, that’s okay. I’m going to emphasize this one more time: we spent a year isolated, so if you get overwhelmed or anxious in a group of people, you have every right to feel the way you do. With life starting to revert to how it was, keep in mind that your mental health is of utmost importance and comes before anything else.