I’m writing this post in March, 2021, when we are about to be released from having to stay home during the pandemic. We have been without each other’s company for a year now, and, in the Northern Hemisphere, we are enjoying spring. So, our restlessness is normal: We are both coming out of winter hibernation and starting to see signs that we can get together again.
Remember, though, that the long meditative period that we just had allowed us to reconsider how we spend our time. We went from clothes shopping to making sourdough bread. We learned how to live and work together like farm families did over 150 years ago. We saved on fuel, clothing, and personal care.
For those of us who suffered from job loss, we learned how to be scrappers, how to work a tight budget, and how to find resources from local government and local food pantries and other agencies. So, some of us learned to nest and some of us learned to reach out.
Either way, as society is banging down the doors to get back into the party, you may feel a real restlessness to get back out there. You may find that your temper is shorter and you are suddenly sleeping less. Think of it as the night before a fantastic event, like Christmas Eve for those who celebrate it. You are so eager that your focus on getting out and, say, going to a movie, is so high that it’s hard to see that you still have to help the kids do their schoolwork.
While you wait, instead of taking your impatience out on loved ones, consider doing exercise indoors to spend the adrenaline and remember to drink plenty of water to modulate your mood. Keep eating a well rounded diet if you can afford to.
When we do finally get released, I hope that all of us will keep the new nesting habits. Homemade sourdough is way better for you than commercial white bread, and board games are excellent for a family (and for children to learn how to negotiate and how to handle conflict). Taking new habits with us enhances our lives permanently.
This summer may be a hard time for us to sit back down indoors to work. But we know now that we can, and we will soon be able to reward ourselves for our hard work by going outside and seeing others. I for one can’t wait to have people over for dinner. I hope your reunions are wonderful