03/15/2021
One year Since COVID-19- Are we having an anniversary reaction?!
This week marks one year since we started social distancing due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Suddenly, the world around us changed. Our sense of safety and stability shattered. Businesses closed, restaurants closed, schools closed to open again only remotely. We all faced challenges to survive and live the way we had never lived before. We were not trained for this. We faced loss. Over loved ones died. Political environment added anxiety and stress. But, we survived, we fought and moved on.
It has been one year since. The Vaccination program gives a promise that there is light at the end of the tunnel. Many of us are vaccinated already. Many of us are going back to work, children are back to school some days a week. We all are expected to get back to routine to varied degrees.
During past one year, we experienced anxiety and various emotions, some of us required medical attention, therapeutic attention. Some of us adjusted the best we could without it. We hardly could adjust and now we are challenged to adjust back to previous expectations, but at a new normal. Things are not exactly the same as they were a year ago, are they? Here we are, attempting to adjust again, facing a year of COVID. It is expected to have an 'anniversary reaction' like experience and feel worse at this time of the year.
If we could survive COVID-19, we can survive this time as well.
What would help?
Remember, It's not over yet. We must continue to perform distancing and maintain hygiene as recommended. We should get out in the Sun more often. Go for a walk, shoot some hoops, catch a ball, start working on yard for the Spring. All the things that kept us going for past year, should still help. We must not forget that we are facing a Pandemic (yes, it is still a Global Pandemic) and the idea is to remain healthy. Seek help from family, relatives, community and if required from Mental Health professionals if this is the toughest time for you and things seem be falling apart. You deserve that!