Hello my friends,
Welcome back to your weekly mental health check! This week’s topic is the corona pandemic. It seems like forever ago, and I feel many of us have even somewhat forgotten about it. Are we still the same person we were before it all hit? When we were going through the social isolation and the lockdowns, I remember many of us thinking that life would never return to normal. How we wished to be back in an overcrowded restaurant without holding our breath the whole time! Working from home became the norm, as did staying in and not seeing friends. I was at home with a newborn, so I can’t remember much because of the sleep deprivation…
But now, many years later, I notice that we aren’t back to where we were. Many of us want to work from home and stay in on a Friday night. Have we become inclined to choose more comfort? It seems that social isolation has made us lonelier, more depressed, more anxious, even easier frustrated (such as more black or white arguments in discussions; a more aggressive tone on the street). I remember back then, that after a while in social isolation, I was quite happy to spend most of my time at home. Whenever lockdowns were lifted, I didn’t really take the opportunity to meet up with friends I hadn’t seen for a long time. Why? It takes 21 days to form a habit. The pandemic lasted far longer than that, so we had plenty of time to get used to staying at home and doing very little – Research shows that this has made us spiral into a new mental health low.
“Come together!”
Call that friend, meet up with colleagues
At the same time, our frustration tolerance has dwindled – we need Netflix and Uber Eats more than ever. Anything outside our comfort zone triggers too much stress. But some form of stress is good for us. It makes us feel alive. So this week, ditch that mindset for one day and do something you haven’t done in years – call that old friend, go to an open mic comedy show, or visit a dog shelter. Random ideas, sure, but you get the point. 😉 Anything that makes you feel socially connected and active.
Stay tuned for next week, where we will close off this season and recap some of the topics before moving on to our next series!
Take care – and take charge!
See you next week,
It’s me, Jules, your biggest fan
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