We have missed loved ones and weddings and funerals, dance parties and baseball finals, more "first time" and simple joys than we can even count at this point.
We have learned to laugh with our eyes, through masks, from 6 meters away.
While I'm sitting here sweating, I know there are lessons from the last year I'll probably have for the rest of my life. Here are my favorites.
There are very few cases in life where pants are required
Now most of us have turned to a video conference call that looks sharp from life and ready for bed or worse from life down. We have neglected facial cosmetics when we go out ̵
"On the one hand, you have those who believe that bras and trousers have become irrelevant and do not see the point of even taking on a pair of shoes longer, "said Weingarten. "The opposite view often includes those who have a lot of zooming going on and feel either the pressure or the relief of an opportunity to dress – at least from life up – and spend time on makeup and hair."
Weingarten believes we will eventually find a balance between the extremes we see being played out now. "As we move forward, we will find a comfortable middle ground," she said.
"Painfully high heels should never have been the norm, nor should we have wanted the unrealistic proportions dictated by the fashion gods. My hope is that as we move out of the pandemic, we will feel sweet again without feeling pressured. to pursue perfection. "
Anyone who can open produce bags in less than 30 seconds without licking a finger deserves an Olympic medal
With foreign spectators at the Olympics in Tokyo probably canceled and fewer sports to watch on TV, it is not a good idea to produce bag competitions. During the last year we lived with Covid-19, we have had to adapt in so many weird ways.
Who ever thought they would greet their mother with a spray bottle of disinfectant? Or find entertainment when you see the neighbors take out the trash?
"Oh, it must be Wednesday again," I find myself and am impressed by her 90-degree bag thrown in the box.
We have adapted to a bizarre, new normal that is really starting to feel frighteningly normal. My 3-year-old child gets worried when people talk about not wearing masks indoors because he does not remember life before the pandemic. We watch large amounts of digital entertainment – including subscriptions to media with an apocalyptic theme in a cruel act of psychological warfare against ourselves. I hear it was this place that was called a movie theater where you could watch movies on the big screen and eat popcorn to your heart's.
Touch is not overrated. Unless it's from your spouse
The well of loneliness deepened during the pandemic when we were asked to stay home and not socialize.
Social distancing has put a damper on our ability to love freely, whether it means hugging a friend or random connections. We have understood how meaningful human physical contact is and how much we miss it. Unless, of course, you are married and stuck with your significant other 24/7. Then you have experienced the opposite problem – too much contact. (I love you, spouse! Get away too!]
"Humans are social creatures of evolution. It's built into our programming to feel safe in groups," said Alexandra Lo Re, a New York-based clinical social . worker. "Suddenly we are exposed to media coverage around the clock, telling us that close contact with loved ones will kill us, and celebrating Thanksgiving is like killing. It is impossible for us to fully synthesize what is happening. Currently, our rational brain is at war. with our primitive brain, "she said.
"For many couples and families, the pandemic has had a different impact. Suddenly, everyone is quarantined in their homes. Families who used to spend their days at school or at work can now find themselves fighting for a workplace at the kitchen table. Couples will be more annoyed by the partners, "said Lo Re.
It's not all terrible. Acknowledge the strain, Lo Re suggested, as a way to work through your feelings of being either deprived of company or completely overwhelmed by too much of it. Communicate your needs and work as a team at home or seek professional help to talk through your feelings.
In my unprofessional opinion, a handy pint of banana with fudge pieces solves almost any problem in the short term (save for glucose levels).
You Can't Really Predict Anything, Never
The spring vacation to Cancun you had planned in April 2020 now feels like a ridiculously distant memory of all the nice things you can no longer have.
If we have learned anything from Covid-19, it is that no matter how much we expect things to go a certain way, we can never predict the future. The best we can do is prepare for the unknown or worst case scenario and reset our expectations so that we can cope with any global contagion, social or political unrest – or zombie apocalypse that comes our way.
"Uncertainty is not something people do well with, which in turn goes back to an evolutionary trait when uncertainty can be deadly," said Lo Re. "The secret is to focus on what we can control instead of fixing what we cannot. We have no control over the pandemic, but we can control how we react to it. We must recognize and cultivate the strengths we have and use them. to get us through tough spots
We are all hypochondriacs
"We constantly worrying about our own health, the health of our families, our future and the future of the world. "We have been living in a state of trauma for a year, the effects of which will continue long after the pandemic is over," she said.
Given the uncertainty and worry and lack of worry about pants, where do we go from here? If we have learned something worth remembering, it is that there is so much we do not know. The future is uncertain. We miss people, but also, we are sick of people. We like pants in an elastic waist, and tweezing is an existential drag and may not be necessary.
What really matters has come into greater focus. We love more authentic. And if all else fails, there is always ice cream.
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