How to Get Your Life Back After Home Confinement
Few things are as uncertain as thinking about what life will be like after this home confinement. Our minds are conjuring many possible scenarios. In this situation, you may be wondering how to get your life back after lockdown.
We know that nothing will be the same again, as least for the foreseeable future, and that we’ll have to get used to living with the coronavirus. From an evolutionary point of view, both psychologists and anthropologists are inviting us to focus on the positive side and the opportunities of this situation. Humanity is continually moving forward and the pandemic is setting in coordinated efforts by the entire scientific community to make a vaccine. We’re a cooperative society that has always survived by creating alliances.
The current crisis has opened the door for the creation of more compassionate societies. Moreover, as Juan Luis Arsuaga, an expert on human evolution, explains, this crisis has forced us to realize that we don’t have any control over the future. Thus, it’s time to start thinking like adults and creating change by being responsible and staying optimistic.
If you think about it, the only thing pessimists do is justify themselves and do nothing. However, if you’re optimistic about the future, you’ll understand that you’re also responsible for promoting change.
Yes, that’s the future, but what about the present? We’re immediately responsible for starting to going out into the world again, little by little, as governments gradually lift restrictions.
How to get your life back after confinement
To understand what life after confinement will be like, we can look at other countries that are already at that stage.
We know that China has resumed both work and school activities with strict safety measures, social distancing, and hygiene standards. Although countries such as Germany and Sweden opened shops, restaurants, and leisure centers, they’ve noticed that people have both reduced their spending and the time they spend in these places.
There’s clear fear and restraint as far as spending goes. Expenditure is lower, tourism is minimal, and the greatest factor of all is, of course, unemployment. The future has become very complex in all aspects of life and daily habits and routines have changed almost completely.
What should you do then? How can you get your life back after home confinement? Below, we share some keys that you should consider.
The end of home confinement doesn’t mean the end of the pandemic
There’s something you need to understand. Ending home confinement is a process. We’ll all go through several stages as the epidemic starts to be under control. This doesn’t mean that the risk of infection will vanish. On the contrary, it’s clear that we’ll have to learn to live with the virus. Understanding this means that we have to look at things with perspective.
This situation forces us to apply three psychological dimensions: patience, adaptation to change, and stress management. Any lifestyle change can cause alarm, anxiety, and fear. Thus, you’ll have to learn to manage all these emotional factors.
You won’t react the same way others do
In the last few days, some people have been starting to go out with a bit of anxiety that’s mixed with joy. On the other hand, others are still afraid to leave their homes. This is very normal.
You shouldn’t worry if you feel anxious about the fact you don’t seem to be doing things at the same pace as before, and that fear is slowing you down more than you’d like.
This isn’t a problem; all of us have our own rhythm and our own way of dealing with new situations. Give yourself time. The important thing is to progress little by little.
We’re still in survival mode and have to accept social distancing
When it comes to resuming your life after home confinement, there’s one factor that you’ll just have to accept. Social distancing will be the norm in every scenario and situation. This is a prudent strategy that will help contain the risk of infection.
Of course, this will force us all to reformulate the way we work, the way we relate to each other, and the way we enjoy our leisure time. Thus, you’ll have to accept all of this as soon as possible.
From fear to creativity
Fear is a multifaceted emotion that you should fully understand. It isn’t only a survival mechanism to protect you and force you to be cautious and defend yourself. In fact, it’s also a way to help you make a new start.
Each one of us is forced to deal with our own emotions and fears. Maybe it’s the fear of infection, the fear of being out of work, or the fear of not knowing what will happen tomorrow. The important thing here is to keep going despite the fear. You need to learn how to develop new ways of acting and reacting.
If you fear infection, try to apply protective measures. If you’re worried about losing your job, then devise new changes, strategies, and career paths. Remember that survival always goes hand in hand with creativity.
Develop critical thinking to cope with life after confinement
Life after confinement will require critical thinking. This new stage will force you to reformulate many of the things that used to define you and that you may need to change.
Likewise, it’ll be hard to avoid information overload. Thus, you must be cautious, intuitive, and critical to avoid falling into the trap of hoaxes, fake news, or harmful behavior patterns. Remember that you don’t have to break social distancing and safety rules just because your neighbors, relatives, or friends do. It’s time to be responsible, brave, and smart!