Grace Heejung Kim for NPR |
Friends,
I went for a walk without a mask today.
I say again to you: I went for a walk without a mask today.
And it was ... so weird. And anxiety-inducing! And I felt a little bit guilt-ridden!
Even though the CDC has now sanctioned some mask-free settings for fully vaccinated people, we’ve been living in this socially-distant, masked up norm for so long that the fully vaccinated lower half of my face immediately wanted to retreat back to the safety of its cozy cloth home; I had to resist the urge to shout at every passerby: “I got the shot! The CDC said it’s safe now, I’ll send you the link!”
Because possibly the only thing stranger than pandemic life, friends, is the first step you take away from it. So how do we cope, facing this new one-foot-in, one-foot-out reality? |
Wherever you are in your pandemic processing, know that your feelings are valid — and that just about everybody’s mixed up about it: whether it’s post-quarantine socializing, vaccine pain points, the dissonance you might feel finally unmasking while COVID-19 takes such a heavy toll in India, or the struggle to combat numbness when confronted with a tragedy of this scope — this comic explains why our brains get desensitized and outlines concrete steps to deal with that feeling.
Remember, knowledge is power.
If you’re not yet vaccinated: you can track how vaccination campaigns are going in your state, or use the CDC’s website to find a vaccination center near you.
If you are fully vaccinated: (fully meaning it’s been at least two weeks since you received your complete vaccination dosage), NPR spoke with infectious disease experts about what’s safe and what’s not. While we still need to proceed with caution, the great news is: hugs are officially back on the table!
Other hopeful headlines? Vaccinations gave the economy a big boost, and scientists are working to develop blood tests that will determine how long COVID-19 vaccines will protect you. That’s forward motion, friends!
But, if you’re not quite ready to look on the sunny side of the street just yet: we get that. Take the time and space you need to take good care of you — if you need help with that time, or that space, we’ve got you covered. ;)
—Andee Tagle, Life Kit producer |
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