After over a year of COVID restrictions and mask mandates, people are starting to live life again due to changes in protocols and vaccination guidelines. This summer will be more like “normal” than summer 2020 but still have some differences from our pre-pandemic life.
Travel has returned, with guidelines but in a bigger way than over the past year. Families can go camping, fly to see loved ones, visit theme parks, and do other typical summer routines.
What have you been looking forward to doing again post-pandemic? Is it attending the annual family reunion? Or attending an outdoor concert? Whatever it may be, embrace the joy of getting to do that activity again. When crowds seem overwhelming or the weather is hot, hold onto that joy. For approx. 15 months there were many limitations and events that were cancelled. Go into each experience or activity holding onto your joy.
Feel the warmth of the sun on your face, hug your loved ones, dance to the music, and scream on the roller coaster. Find your joy wherever you can during the summer months before kids start to transition back to school.
Summer is typically a time for family vacations as children are out of school and the weather is warm. Celebrate the fact that quarantine and lockdown is not currently in effect. Finally you can go on that family trip that was cancelled last year and get everyone out of the house for a while. Many people found the COVID restrictions affected their social, emotional, and mental health.
Time to step back into your regular activities and experiences within the existing guidelines. While not fully back to “normal” this is vastly different from summer 2020. Enjoy what you can and experience your family in a different way than over the past year.
Life was put on hold and now we get to step from the dark into the light again. Don’t miss out on your opportunity to, safely, live life again.
Michelle A. Culver, LMFT
