How a health crisis created a mind block
Dreams are an escape from reality – a bubble of comfort and safety. We’re the happiest when we’re dreaming. We ignore our negative emotions and enjoy life like a long summer day. But what happens when we wake up from that dream? We’re back to reality and feel no different than a caged bird. That’s how our life has been, returning to the world after the pandemic.
During the pandemic, we were trapped at home for 2 years. It was exhausting at first, but we found peace – peace in hiding from everything and everyone. We felt free - free from the burden of ambition and achievement. Suddenly the worst of the pandemic became a great ‘get out of jail’ card and let us escape our stressful lives. And though we missed the real world, we had gotten so comfortable in this alternative reality.
When we returned to normalcy, everyone expected us to fit in immediately - but how could we? Parties we loved attending were now just rooms we were afraid of entering. Conversations which were originally stimulating were now just awkward sentences and fears of expression. We were scared to talk, scared to walk, and scared to be in public.
We have grown up but never experienced our crucial developmental years. This lack of exposure has trapped us in the confines of our homes – making us feel like it is the only safe place on the planet. We were held captive for so long, and suddenly we are being forced to walk the plank – how can the transition be easy?
I often ponder upon this unsettling question: how different would I have been if there was no pandemic? Would I have still struggled with this stress and anxiety, or would life have been cupcakes and rainbows? The truth is that I don't know, nor will I ever know. But hopefully, with time I can return to my original self who enjoyed living – a version of myself that wasn’t barred by fear.