Finally Having Something to Look Forward To
The refreshing and uncomfortable experience of positive anticipation in the middle of a pandemic
Attempts to increase vaccine accessibility accompanied with the CDC’s (controversial and confusing) updates about recommendations for vaccinated individuals have led many in the US to prep for re-entry into society. Social calendars are beginning to fill up prompting the vaccinated population to reflect on how they want to spend their time with, if the CDC and leading public health experts are correct, fewer safety concerns and limitations. Despite the many challenges to venturing outside — psychological and otherwise, many of us are experiencing the refreshing and slightly uncomfortable experience of finally having something to look forward to.
Optimism can be a scary and dangerous feeling when you’re accustomed to disappointment. And disappointment is likely a mild response to the various ups and downs and accumulated losses associated with the past year. To feel anything but intense skepticism or fear in response to presumed “improvements” associated with a global pandemic that has killed more than 3 million people worldwide can seem precariously naïve.
But according to a recent psychological study on coping during the COVID-19 pandemic, optimism and…
