In my practice and on the news, I and other medical professionals are beginning to notice a new set of changes: people are tired, are increasingly socially phobic, and are actively looking for a new job.

People are tired: exhausted, really. The end of our global lockdown seems so near for some, not so near for others. Most of us have gained weight, and anyone who normally works in an office has had to find new ways of organizing their life around being in only one place for everything. As that end draws nearer, our patience diminishes. And that’s exhausting.

People are increasingly socially phobic: it used to be something we wanted to be at – concerts, parties, crowded social gatherings of many kinds. For a lot of people, that’s no longer what they want. We don’t want to be any closer to a stranger than 6 feet. We are coming to like the quiet… and the quieter pace.

People are actively looking for a new job: Some companies want their employees to return to the office. But many of us don’t want to go back to getting up early to catch a crowded bus or subway, then do it all over again after work, 5 days a week. We’ve finally found a pace that works for us, and we plan on sticking with it, thank you very much!

Three new changes. I kind of like them.

And a 4th one that I hope continues. Dogs as pets (and maybe cats), treated like the golden darlings they all are.

Essential questions to ask your future self

Quote of the Week

“Life is a series of natural and spontaneous changes. Don’t resist them; that only creates sorrow. Let reality be reality. Let things flow naturally forward in whatever way they like.”
– Lao Tzu

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Maryanne