So apparently it is time to resume ‘normal’ life again. At the Governments advise shielding in the UK is coming to an end but what are the implications of this going to be? Just like that we are meant to return to normality but what has really changed since yesterday? Yesterday, it wasn’t safe for those of us termed as vulnerable to go out, caution was the name of the game and all rules were to be followed fully, but today all is okay. Nothing has really changed; the risk is still there and I just can’t wrap my mind around this. The new guidelines are confusing and conflicting, we are being told that we are able to go out, yet we are still being advised to stay at home as much as we can; we can go back to work but we should really carry on working from home if we can.
Like a lot of people, my life has been on hold since mid-March. Shielding was put in place to protect those who were at risk of serious complications if they caught COVID-19. At the recommendation of my rheumatologist, due to my supressed immune system, the safest thing for me to was to shield. The quality of my life has been hugely impacted by this, along with my mental and physical health too. I have been too scared to venture far and have barely left the house for the last five months. I’ve only really been going out to sit in the garden and haven’t even felt comfortable going for a walk.
I have never been an overly anxious person but in this time of uncertainty, I will hold my hand up and say anxiety has been a large part of my life since March and even just writing this blog post and thinking about moving forward, I can feel my heart begin to beat faster and a sicky feeling come over me. The thought of being out in the big bad world again, is certainly increasing this and if I think about it too much it is overwhelming. Due to the guidelines being relaxed for shielding, I have managed to spend some time with friends and families, which I haven’t had an issue with. It is going to sound strange but I know where they have been, I know I can trust them and that if they are displaying symptoms they would know to stay clear but how do I trust random members of the public. Are they going to have become lackadaisical about the virus and stop following the guidelines as closely and I know that when I start going out I am going to be continually thinking this way. To live any quality of life going forward we need to move beyond the fear that Covid has left us with, as it appears it is not going away anytime soon.
I’m not saying shielding for all this time has been easy but I felt safe and don’t get me wrong, it will be nice to get back to normal but really there is no ‘normal’ anymore and I am worried about the unknown going forward. I know what I am feeling will be felt by many others, not just those of us who have been shielding. I suppose it is going to be a case of just waiting and seeing what happens. There is certainly going to be a period of readjustment before we find our feet again and can walk with confidence without our mind talk freaking us out. I hope it has been the correct decision and it won’t be regretted further down the line. I hope we all manage to stay safe in this new ‘normal’ and start to do some quality living again.
What are your thoughts about things returning to normal? How do you feel about being out in the big bad world again? What do you do when you feel your anxiety consuming you? Let me know in the comments section below. I look forward to hearing from you.
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