Returning to life after lockdown

The last 18 months has kept us in. Away from people as the dreaded Covid struck us all. Cooped up at home, limited in terms of contact, we had a full lifestyle change. Work, social life, activities and more…. all affected drastically. Shocking as it developed. Changes, changes and more changes. Relentless.

Saddened by the tragedy and death encountered. Admiration to the field in charge. Encouraging them all the way. Banking on the courage shown. The medics and essential workers - heroes. 

Then the need we all waited patiently for, is experienced producing a torch of hope - the vaccine. Uncertain and with trepidation, trust in this develops a confidence. A confidence of some possible return to the norm. So July 16th 2021 in the UK it’s set. We start to come out. Reintegration from our homes. 

A table in a coffee shop or restaurant. Pubs flowing with people. Some deciding to keep their distance, some hugging and sat close to each other. The decision is now a personal choice not a law. Fear prevalent for some. The collection of freedoms available to explore. 

From the four walls of a house. An empty street. The sounds of nature, winning over the roars of traffic. Life is now emerging back to a more familiar state. So how do we adjust? Simulate our lives again in the ebb and flow? The feeling of anxiety is top of the bill, of all the emotions. Fear is in the air.

Anxiety can be addressed in small steps. These small steps can make leaps. For every risk or courage taken, the reduction of anxiety is encountered. If avoided, it returns with a more potent affect. So the art to managing anxiety, is to face each small step,  head on. If it seems too big, reduce the step size. Forward one day at a time. One challenge at a time, at a level that is manageable. 

Tweaking your adapted routine in lockdown, can look like the addition of some tasks. A social gathering with friends, inside a hall. A trip to a theatre. Anywhere which may have been restricted. Integrating, your simple life, with some warm features. For some, it was a large music event, to let your hair down and dance in the midnight hour.

The more moves you take, to return to the previous reality, the more the psyche responds. Meaning - coming back to the life we knew for so long, starts to happen organically, in proportion to the confidence we create in each step we take. 

Some will need support to get started. A friend, a relative, a carer, can all kick start this change. The human touch of a hand can assist. Leading to eventual self sufficiency. If you desire more help, a professional such as a counsellor can help, with some additional therapeutic tools. One being, exploring the anxiety, in a safe secure environment. 

So here we are, back to life after lockdown. A success on the horizon. From every bad experience, may follow something good. A new approach. Equipped, with some new techniques we found, in this quirky 18 months. Go out there and make it better.