I wanted to title this finding yourself post-pandemic, but the pandemic isn’t actually over. In the U.S., at least, restrictions have scaled back almost entirely, so a better way to refer to it is post-quarantine. For those who actually socially distanced and stayed away from others, the reopening or return to “normal” has been challenging. Part of the difficulty is finding yourself post-quarantine, meaning finding time for friendships, interests and activities you may have forgone during 2020.
To keep my family and I safe during COVID-19, I stayed away from events, stopped dining out at restaurants, lost touch with acquaintances and pretty much lost myself. Now that things are reopening, it been hard to get back to myself and even figure out what I want to be doing. Do I not enjoy running anymore, which is what I told myself was why I stopped running, or was I just afraid or unable to leave my kids to go run during the pandemic? Do I want to make friends in the Chicago area? What are enjoyable ways for me to spend my time? These are other similar questions have been on my mind lately.
If you believe social media other people haven’t had this problem. I see people posting about being out and about and enjoying life just as before. I wish I had still keep doing things I loved and interacting with others last year, but it didn’t happen that way. I felt truly isolated and it was depressing.
My blog has been less about things to do in recent months because I haven’t been doing as much. And it’s just now hitting me how much this has affected my mental health. Staying away from others and living the same day every day has not been good for me. I know something needs to change, but getting back to me will be a process. Rebuilding friendships will take time. Figuring out how I want to spend my little free time will take trial and error. I hope to share more about what I am doing to find myself again after 2020 and I hope if you’re struggling like me you will follow along and maybe even leave a comment or message me your story.
Are you having trouble returning to normal and finding yourself post-quarantine?
