You know that dream you have where you’re at school or work and then suddenly realize that you’re naked? You feel anxious, embarrassed, and vulnerable. And you try to downplay the fact that your junk is just out there for all to see. For the first time, I dreamt I was out in public during the pandemic and I forgot to wear my mask. It’s a completely different kind of naked, but the same vulnerability and shame. Anxiety dreams have totally shifted this year.
Baseline anxiety, in general, seems to be the new normal. And now the feeling of being without a mask in public is a waking, walking, working feeling. When I’m walking around the office at work, I start to panic that I forgot to put my mask on, only to confirm that I am indeed wearing it. There are many other anxieties that we never used to worry about? Such as handing objects to one another. When I need someone to sign a form for me, I point to a pen deliberately placed nearby and ask them to use that. I let them know that it’s an untouched, virgin pen. But that’s also changing.
Meanwhile, here’s a brief list of anxieties and new behaviors from this past year that I certainly didn’t have before:
- Avoid public restrooms even more than usual.
- Use hand sanitizer in between visits of every store.
- Never directly touch any doorknob or handle. Long sleeves required. Pull doors are the worst.
- Always give people approaching you a wide berth, even though you literally took a piece of paper from a stranger’s hands two minutes ago.
- Wonder which stores you visit allow you to bring your own bags. It changes from week to week.
- Never sneeze or cough in public. Shoot daggers at those who do.
- When consuming food in public, do so very fast, and in a secluded corner.
- When directing someone to click a link on their phone, hover your finger half a centimeter above their phone screen without actually touching it.
- Passive-aggressively let people know who aren’t wearing their masks in public that they are persona non grata.
stackofokcats 