Almost halfway there

Hard to believe that 2021 is almost halfway through! It's been quite a year so far, and with the vaccine rollout that began last winter, for a lot of people there has been a degree of relief from the anxiety they've experienced over the last year.

If you're like me, you may be a little bit wary of reconnecting in person with friends who chose to handle the pandemic with less caution. And that's okay. It's normal to feel some hesitation or anxiety when you haven't seen someone in a long time. Remember: none of us have gone through a pandemic before. We're figuring a lot out as we go.

You might have a lot of mixed feelings toward people and how they did or didn't adapt their behavior. Because we were all coping as best we could with the information we had access to, there is not one correct way of handling Covid-19. When it comes down to it, if you want people to respect the decisions that you made for yourself and your safety, then you have to offer that to others as well. It works both ways. If you spend time with people who are disrespectful of the choices you made for your own safety, it's okay to distance yourself from them; you do not owe anybody your time, and your desire to feel safe is valid. So if you still feel most comfortable wearing a mask while sitting outside with people, and want to continue social distancing, then that is valid. Despite what the CDC says, many people will continue to use these safety precautions in order to protect their health and the health of those around them.

Of course, we want to be sure that the steps we're taking to ensure our safety are reasonable. If you feel that your anxiety has increased, and shown no sign of letting up, please reach out to talk to a professional who can help you work through what you've experienced and develop healthy coping tools.

As more people continue to get the vaccine, we will be able to engage in the activities that we didn't get to enjoy last year. Let's take a moment to feel gratitude for the scientists that helped make that possible, and let's treat each other with as much kindness and compassion as we can manage as our new normal continues to evolve.