One lesson that’s been reinforced for me during the pandemic is that new experiences come with fear, uncertainty, and discomfort.
The first time I went to the supermarket was unnerving. The second time was a bit easier. The third time easier still. I got into a routine, and while the discomfort never went away, most of the fear and uncertainty did.
To be clear, I didn’t relax my routine, but I became less stressed doing it.
The same thing happened with the post office.
And our trips to New York City to take walks with our daughters.
And nearly every other “first time during the pandemic” experience.
Fear, uncertainty, and discomfort are normal feelings before and during new experiences.
Most of us have experienced those feelings many times in our lives, and we will likely continue experiencing them.
Knowing those feelings will fade as we get used to new experiences can help us to become less stressed – at least a bit less – as we go through those situations.
Remind yourself about the many times you’ve been nervous about a new experience and that, in most cases, it ended up not nearly as bad as you feared it would. Remind yourself, “This too shall pass.” And remind yourself, “It’s going to get better – because it almost always does.”
Be well,
David