By Ruth Hunter-Hill
What is normal? Our normal has an impact on those we are connected to – and their normal can impact us. While navigating life through a pandemic, our normal starts to feel out of whack. The COVID-19 pandemic wreaked havoc on the world. Businesses, schools, and households alike struggled to maintain some kind of normalcy. As a result, the term “new normal” is understandably pretty pervasive. But there’s good news: WE define what is “normal!” We get to determine what is normal in our lives.
We’re currently living in an environment where socializing is difficult at best, and humans are very social creatures. So, we must carry our normal around with us – inside ourselves – to help lessen the pressure to adapt to drastic changes. Our core, or foundation, doesn’t change. A large part of our foundation is our mental health.
Since we are such social creatures, long-term isolation can have a negative effect on our mental health. During a pandemic, it’s time to get creative. Our “normal” routines are shattered. But if we think about it, our routines change all the time. Some are short-term changes and other changes are long-term. For example, every summer, we go to our summer routine, then when school starts, that’s another routine. If we change schools, that’s starts another routine. If the school goes on a field trip, that’s the routine to be followed. The changes in routine may seem challenging at first, but we eventually adapt.
However, during a pandemic, we are forced into new routines that we didn’t plan for and that may not fit our lifestyle – but we must adjust anyway. Uncertainty and fear can create anxiety, and the longer the isolation lasts the more that anxiety can rise. Also keep in mind that every family is different and maneuvers through the pandemic in its own way. So, your new “normal” routine can be unique to you and your familial environment.
Find different ways to do things that were once considered normal. Are you accustomed to studying in a group? You still can. Use video meeting technology to help you alter that routine and maintain your face-to-face connection to your study group. It’s not what you’re accustomed to, but it’s a nice alternative. This is just one of many examples of how we can creatively use technology to help us through a period of isolation.
Finding your “normal” while enduring a pandemic may not be easy, but it’s necessary so we just have to do it. Seek help keeping yourself mentally and emotionally healthy if needed. If professional help is an option for you, it’s wise to consider it. Or you may feel comfortable talking with someone you trust who is an authoritative figure in your life. Our minds can take us to dark places, so don’t spend too much time with your own thoughts. And be sure to maintain any medication routines to keep your mind and body health and sound.
So, when defining your new normal, remember to insert plenty of creativity and fun! Look at it as a blank canvas, and you get to create a brand-new piece of art that is so you.
Sep12020
