The big news last week was the announcement from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) that fully vaccinated Americans can resume normal activities without wearing masks or social distancing, except where required by law. Suffice it to say, people are ready to return to normal.
Results from the latest Axios-Ipsos Coronavirus survey, conducted in early May, found Americans were feeling more optimistic. Among those surveyed:
- 59 percent had visited friends or relatives during the previous week.
- 54 percent had gone out to eat during the previous week.
- 31 percent had made plans for the summer.
- 18 percent had a stronger sense of emotional well-being, a six-point jump from the prior survey.
- 60 percent indicated trips to salons, barber shops, and spas were low- or no-risk activities, up six points from the last survey.
If your exuberance about resuming “normal” life has been tempered by a reluctance to change the routines you’ve adopted during the pandemic, you’re not alone. Medical experts at Northwestern University explained:
“The emotional impact of this past year may linger with us for longer than we might expect. The key is not to feel forced to snap back into a routine overnight. Give yourself time and understand that your emotional journey back to freely socializing in vaccinated cohorts may look very different from those around you.”
As some people say, “You do you.”
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