Navigating an Ongoing Pandemic in New York City February 28, 2022

The past two years have been tough on all of us – I haven’t met one person that hasn’t been affected in some way. From transitioning to working from home full-time to figuring out vaccine schedules and learning more about mental health needs to experiencing polarizing political conversations, we’ve endured so much in the past two years. It can be tough trying to figure out how we’re going to make it through this pandemic without scars.

It seems like every segment of this pandemic brings us something new, as it’s impacted almost every aspect of our lives. We’ve witnessed an incredibly volatile presidential election and transfer of power; we’ve watched the heavy debate around vaccines; we’ve seen our economy fluctuate; we’ve said goodbye to thousands of people. It’s hard to imagine a world post-pandemic sometimes because of how disruptive it’s been to our lives.

I don’t have all the answers, but I’m happy to share some of my own tricks and hacks as a New York City resident. Everyone is different and has personal levels of pandemic practice, so please take my recommendations with a grain of salt, and feel free to personalize these ideas as you see fit and as they pertain to your own individual practices.

1. Take advantage of talk therapy

I recognize that I’m incredibly lucky that my talk therapy is covered by my insurance. It’s incredibly helpful that I have someone to talk to on a weekly basis (it’s virtual, too!) – sometimes we chat about how the pandemic is affecting me, while some weeks the topic doesn’t come up at all. I see my weekly therapy appointments as regular maintenance. There are some months in my life when I feel in control and steady – it’s nice to talk with my therapist during these times because she can see me when I’m confident and in a good place. There are other weeks when I struggle, either with work, relationships, money, or even just my energy levels. These weekly check-ins help stabilize my moods, force me to reflect on what I can do better, and to identify areas that I need to work on. I’ve been able to overcome a lot of barriers and hurdles in my life from simply going to therapy once a week. I understand it’s not for everyone, and I also recognize that I’m lucky to have access to this kind of mental healthcare, but I’ll recommend this practice to anyone that is looking to improve themselves.

2. Helpful to think ahead

Sometimes it seems like we’ve been frozen in time, hasn’t it? So many of my days seem to blur together, and it so often feels like every day is the same. Beyond family visits, I haven’t planned anything for myself in two years. It feels too risky to book a vacation, only to get excited about it then have to cancel due to another variant. This has had me in a weird, dark place as I think about my future. Will we be doing this two years from now? Will all my days be identical a year from now? This kind of repetition has given me a lot of anxiety and stress, so I’ve tried to look for a solution that can help with this kind of gloom. Instead of planning for trips or vacation, I set personal goals for myself instead. Because I’m not spending as much money on travel, dinners, or events with my friends, I’ve been able to save a lot of money the past two years. With that realization, I’ve started to create monthly goals for myself, most of which are financially related. When I paid off my student loans last year, thanks to the interest pause and saving so much money, that gave me the idea to keep thinking ahead. I now have a goal that I want to reach for my 401K, a figure I want to hit in my savings account, and I’m starting to put aside some money for a major vacation once this is all over and done with (whenever that is!). Having these goals gives me something to work towards AND something to look forward to.

It’s important to remind yourself that you’re not alone – we’re ALL going through this time together. We all have different and unique struggles, so check in with your loved ones, but also be sure to check in with yourself. Make sure you’re giving yourself what you need!