He had a dream. He was himself standing in a queue and waiting for his chance to get a second dose of vaccination. Far ahead, he saw a bunch of people waving their hands up in the air with a signboard – We are shielded- Let’s party tonight.” He imagined himself to be a part of that crowd in few minutes.

 

His mind was full of confusion, anxiety, stress. He didn’t understand what it was. He just waited for his turn.

 

He, in his dream, standing in a queue, was thinking about the moment when he will get his second dose. And his turn came, and  he got “JABBED.”

 

Now was the time for him to join the crowd and wave the flag of, “I am Social Again.” But his hands were shaky. His legs shivered. After almost a year and a half, he saw so many faces together. Is he supposed to wear a mask now? Is he still supposed to carry a bottle of sanitizer in his pocket?

 

This thought of getting Social Again fuelled anxiety in him.

 

There will be changes in ‘US’ when we step out of our houses after getting Jabbed twice. Here are things that I believe will change

 

  1. Think before we step out –

Everyone will have different levels of comfort with in-person interactions. So take baby steps towards socializing. “Dip your foot slow in the pond.” Everyone is emotionally exhausted.

 

2. Choose Your Gatherings –

Mental stress is at its peak. We all will be stepping out of Isolation periods. Fully exhausted. Fully Stressed out., So it is going to be very important to choose our gatherings. One should go for positive people around. Have small meaningful meetings. Find your group, your people who you’re comfortable with, and then branch out.

 

3. FOSO: Fear of Stepping Out

This fear of stepping out will engulf all of us. It’s going to be essential to keep the anxiety levels intact. Outside, people are not the same. Their mental state cant be predicted. They might have gone through a lot during the last year or so. Hence it’s essential to stay calm before stepping out and be ok if someone tries to avoid a company or a handshake.

 

Life is not the same. Maybe it takes a couple of years to adapt to the new “NEW NORMAL.” It will take some time to categorize “CORONA” as a normal viral fever. Many have lost precious ones because of this deadly virus, and it’s not going to be easy to forget about this Pandemic.

 

Holding hands to support each other will Surely get replaces with

EMOTIONAL E-Connect 

 

What do you think?