Hello again. I had a few thoughts as the possible lifting of the Corona Cloud seems to be in process.
I’ve heard from some of my clients that as we are being encouraged to “open up” and resume our public lives, a new anxiety is emerging.
Our initial anxiety and resistance to staying home and sheltering in place has now resulted in some fear about venturing out. The term agoraphobia, fear of going outside, has started to impact some of you.
Our homes became our safe place, our place of protection, of assurance that we would be able to maintain our health. Now, as the weather is more inviting and the numbers of illness and deaths appear to be dropping, we are faced with yet another adjustment.
How are we to manage our fears of exposing ourselves to the same possibility of the invisible virus?
Ironically, just as I suggested taking one day at a time as we adjusted to being inside full time with our families and fragile feelings, or as some had to adjust to being alone for seemingly endless hours, now we need to pace ourselves again.
We need to take the same one-step-at-a-time to get out, protected by masks and social distance and good judgment.
It is a healthy and crucial step to nudge yourself outside. You do this slowly, paying attention to your fear of being exposed. You do this with your individual precautions in place to minimize exposure. You make a personal choice about taking your time and deciding where you will go (and where you won't go).
Go! It is time to get out and breathe the air and experience the slow waking up of life again.
Try it... And let me know how you are doing.
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