Some East Texans Feel Socially Awkward After Months of Quarantine
It's been nice seeing the world start to re-emerge from the Covid-19 quarantine fog.
Although the more introverted among us may enjoy spending more time in solitude or with immediate family and their closest friends, when you're advised and/or mandated to do so, even they began to feel the effects of social isolation.
After all, humans are social creatures, whether we fully embrace that reality or not.
And now that things are re-opening and we're starting to see entries on our social calendars again, some East Texans are realizing that all of those months of *not* being very social have had an effect on their interactions with others.
No, of course this doesn't apply to everyone. But I can totally can relate a little to the rather large percentage of people who've expressed their feelings of "social awkwardness."
It's almost as if some of us have temporarily lost the habit of easy social interaction. When you're not used to the witty banter at the office or if it has been awhile since you've just sat around and talked with friends, it can seem like we've lost an "edge," so to speak.
A couple of weeks ago, I went and had my first lunch out with people outside of close family members. It was WONDERFUL to see these lovely people. Though, I confess I felt slightly strange. After months and months of "quiet time," I had to warm up to chit chat and regular, in-person conversation.
If you've experienced some of these feelings, please know you're not alone. In fact, it's a pretty common thing around the world. Studies have been and are currently being done on this very subject. There are stories of this very issue everywhere. Psychologists have reported clients sharing these concerns with them as well.
It's gonna be okay. We will re-adjust and warm up to normal social interaction soon. And as always, if you feel you need to talk to someone, please don't hesitate to do so.
Sending love.