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It’s Time to Turn a New Mental Page
A simple way to quick-start reentry habits
The day it became clear that Covid-19 would significantly disrupt our lives, I sat down at the dining room table, opened a notebook, and scribbled “SELF-CARE” at the top of the page. Below it, a pandemic to-do list: Order from local restaurants. Load up on coffee, wine, and ice cream. Nap. Indulge in more screen time and online shopping than usual. Anything I could think of to stay safe, pass the time, and minimize stress, I wrote down. Unprecedented times call for unprecedented measures, right?
For a while, those survival mode habits were a lifeline. On particularly discouraging shutdown days, I’d pick a few things on the list to boost my mood. The self-care rubric worked the other way, too. If I didn’t feel like going out for my daily walk or couldn’t muster the energy to make sure my kids ate a healthy dinner, I always had an excuse: It’s a freaking pandemic. Pick your battles.
More than a year into this thing, most of my habits are going strong, because even as the pandemic ebbs, my brain seems to think they’re still necessary coping mechanisms.
To an extent, they are. Even for those of us who are lucky enough to be vaccinated, the pandemic isn’t over. The same stressors and strains that have affected us for the past year will…
