The Covid-19 pandemic has changed our world in ways many of us could not have expected. The bustling and busy world we knew went eerily silent for a long period, and in many ways it has not been the same since March of 2020. 

However, we have all adapted to the new way of life in miraculous ways and despite ongoing surges as new variants crop up, we may have returned to the hustle and bustle of the pre-pandemic world. While pandemic stress and uncertainty fatigue are still present in our lives, finding ways to manage the stress can help implement healthy boundaries and skills that will continue long after (hopefully) the Covid pandemic is behind us.  

In 2020, the idea of lowering expectations was well received as we collectively faced unprecedented times and navigated new situations. Now, nearly three years into the Covid-19 pandemic we are seeing a record number of Covid-19 cases and hospitalizations due to the Omicron variant. When echoes of the first wave can be felt in the new surge, it can be good to reflect on what we’ve learned since the first wave of the pandemic. 

Allow For Low Expectations

While the Covid-19 pandemic has forced all of us to slow down to some degree and allowed for more flexible work schedules than we may have been used to pre-pandemic, some of those flexibilities have blurred the lines between work and life. With less definition between work and life, it is easy to overwork and difficult to truly switch off from thinking about work. 

If you feel disappointment or anger when you don’t get everything on your daily or weekly to-do list, it may be time to reevaluate the expectations that you hold for yourself and how it impacts your mental health. Holding yourself to high standards can be good, but it’s important that you set realistic goals for yourself so as not to sabotage your own success and worsen your self-esteem. 

It may feel difficult to prioritize yourself and your self-care when you’re used to working to the point of burnout, but keep in mind that by taking care of yourself first you are setting yourself up to do the best work possible. 

There’s a difference between setting attainable goals that challenge you and setting unattainable goals that make you feel less capable than you actually are. 

Hope For The Best, But Don’t Depend On It

We’ve all heard the phrase “hope for the best, plan for the worst” but that phrase feels more poignant after three years of uncertainty and ever-changing safety guidelines regarding Covid-19. While the idea of planning for the worst may seem pessimistic and downright dooms-dayish, it can also be a good reminder to keep your expectations low. 

When the Omicron variant was discovered in late November, it was easy to feel like we were back in the early days of the pandemic, unsure of what to anticipate or plan for as the holidays approached. For many, the holiday season of 2021 was the first year in which it felt safe enough to gather together in family or friend groups for celebrations and the threat of that being taken away after years of isolation from loved ones can be a hard pill to swallow.

Accepting that life is happening in the here and now can be tremendously difficult to do, especially when you are forced to accept it under the circumstances of cancelation or loss of an event that you were really looking forward to. Finding ways to mitigate the feelings of disappointment that may come with a sudden change of plans can help to develop appreciation for the things that do happen rather than grieving the things that don’t. 

Some of these things may include:

• Connecting with a smaller group of people in a socially distanced manner
• Doing virtual calls on a regular schedule or meeting virtually when you would have met in-person.
• Send care packages to loved ones.

Lower Expectations For Socialization

If you’re like me, the return to in-person social activities was something you looked forward to only to find yourself feeling anxious and stressed about socialization that would have been a normal interaction in pre-covid times. Maybe the ideas you had of socialization were a bit more fantastical than you would have imagined had you not been so isolated for so long. When your expectations for socialization aren’t met, it can lead to feelings of discontentment and resentment. 

It can be easy to isolate yourself due to the anxiety you may feel returning to in-person. Maybe you want to return to in-person but are too afraid of socialization that you find yourself opting for the virtual options despite your own desires. This was certainly something I struggled with, and still struggle with, when returning to in-person courses at my university. 

Don’t be too hard on yourself when adjusting to in-person activities. There are very real concerns when it comes to being in-person for some activities. However, if having more social interaction is a goal of yours in 2022 than here are some ways in which you can ease into in-person socialization:

• Get coffee or go on a walk with a trusted friend that you haven’t seen in awhile. 
• Invite some trusted friends to your place for a game night or go to a nearby park for a walk. 
  

• Start an ice-breaker conversation with someone you’ve been wanting to get to know. It doesn’t have to be long or even important. It’s just to practice talking to other humans again. 
  

• Give a compliment. This could be a passing compliment to someone you see while running errands or a friend.
  

• Get involved. You don’t have to commit to a lot, but showing up to an event or meeting for something you’ve been interested in can be a great way to start socializing again. 
  

Remember to take things at your own pace. You don’t have to be at the same spot that others in your life appear to be. Sometimes taking things slow can lead to something better than we could have expected or planned on. Challenging yourself when you feel like you can handle it is a good way to expand your comfort zone, but don’t hold yourself to the expectations of others. 

As we enter 2022 and navigate the third year of the Covid-19 pandemic, take time to reflect on what you want this year and how much you’ve changed in the past year. Whether you’re struggling with career goals, relationship goals, or just personal goals that you set for yourself, remember that we are all going at different paces.