Is the Pandemic Over? My Calendar Seems to Think So
I don’t know about you, but I am 100% not okay with the number of event invites and conference notices that are coming into my inbox. What happened to the great reset? I was expecting a truly new normal, not just the same old hamster wheel.
We seem to have forgotten our deep longing for disconnecting from the world, for hunkering down with our nearest and dearest, for enjoying the feel if not the smell of those sweatpants we put on every day for too many days in a row. Instead, we’re back to multiple events a night, regular manicures and hair color appointments, and travel, travel, travel.
I’m worried about us. Not least of all because the pandemic is not over. But mostly because we’re back to an unsustainable pace. I’m experiencing this with my partner’s travel and my friends’ inability to schedule a walk and talk as easily as was possible last year. What gives?
This article in Vox reminds us that burnout was supposed to get better. It hasn’t. In addition, for many of us, the demands of caregiving, economic concerns and fear of racial attacks add to a sense of overwhelm.
In this article for Time, my friend and fellow No. 1, Mitra Kalita, reminds us that: ”The antidote to the overwhelm and burnout we know all too well is figuring out what matters most, and why.”
Here are my thoughts on how to reduce decision fatigue and maximize JOMO (the joy of missing out):
Look back on who and what you missed during the lockdown, and let that guide your decisions about whether or not you want to accept the invite from someone/for something. Especially if you’re feeling unsure.
Choose full yes-es over lukewarm maybes. If you’re slipping back into the messy place of should I or shouldn’t I, then you probably don’t want to. Be proactive and enthusiastic about where you’re spending your time, rather than reluctant and forced.
Let your lists go. Maybe not forever but for now. When it all feels like too much, finishing “just one more thing” isn’t likely to make you feel better, and might even make you feel worse by postponing your radical rest.
Sure, this all sounds ideal, and we all have to do more than our fair share of obligatory activities (parent events at school, anyone?). But it’s helpful to remind ourselves of who and what really matters to us and to seek out joy, even when the pandemic actually ends.
With love,
Sayu