As the weeks of the new year continue, more of us may be discussing moving forward to the “next normal.”  We are starting to hear about students going back to school, in person.  Employers are discussing bringing workers back to company offices.  The airlines are projecting an uptick in leisure time travel. Restaurants are making additional renovations to accommodate more traffic and more major movie theatre chains are reopening after closing their doors last spring.  While this may be an exciting time for many people, it can also be a stressful time that can increase anxiety for others.

For those of us experiencing increased anxiety around moving forward, it is important to minimize our mind’s chatter by realizing that you still have choices and options.  We all move at our own pace and there is no one way to do transitions.  In last week’s, The ZONE, we suggested that going too fast, the gulp response, may not be the ideal for all of us.  This week we are suggesting that if you are not ready to begin re-engaging with the world, that you go at your own pace.  If, however, you find that you are not able to move forward at all, and you think you want to, you may want to consider seeking the services of a licensed mental health professional to help you begin to take your next step.

During this time of numerous transitions, the need to care for self is primary to ongoing functioning.  Another way to view this time of transitions is that you can be stuck with your old ways of coping or you can begin creating and developing new strategies to create the future that you want.