Life After Quarantine and Self Isolation: A Beginner's Guide

Hey, look ma, we made it! We survived the Apocalypse, also known as quarantine. And now we are back to the real world. It was a wild ride. But now that we are here, one question arises: what will life after quarantine be like?

We sure still have tons of things to find out. But here in this post, I want to share with you what I consider a beginner’s guide to life after quarantine. You are about to get in contact with some directions, insights, and tips that can make this reintegration process with the world a little less overwhelming. Let’s dive in, my dear #2020survivor.

Things to do after quarantine is over

#1 Accept this truth bomb

Nothing will ever be like it was before. Nothing will ever be the same. The earlier you can process that, the less you will suffer.

It’s okay to grieve what you had before. It was beautiful, it was good. But it’s impossible to restore it exactly how it used to be.

The reason why I am telling you this, it’s not because I want to be a party pooper (I love parties!). However, I don’t want you to be frustrated when trying to recreate your old life.

The fact is: those last couple of months changed us.

Some of this change happened in a way we were able to see and assimilate. At the same time, some of it is not visible at all for now (hello, the marvelous subconscious work!).

You are not the same person you were before. You have new fears, new joys, new priorities, maybe a new worldview also a whole new interest for toilet paper.

It’s time to look at the past and say: “We had fun, it was awesome, thank you!”

Look at the present and say: “Okay, this is what I have for now!”

Look at the future and say: “No idea of what is about to come, but let’s do this!”

Embrace the new you and the new life that is presenting itself. That’s the best approach you can have at this moment.

What will you do after quarantine is over

#2 The new normal

Okay, so now that you accepted that this whole self-isolation thingy did a (Good? Bad? No labels here) number on you, let’s dig in a little deeper.

Who is the “new you”? What changed in your life? What was your reality before quarantine, but now doesn’t make sense anymore?

Maybe you were in a relationship, and now you are single.

You had one job, lost it, and now have another.

Perhaps you found out that you really need people and social settings.

Write it all down. Make a list of “Me before quarantine,” with what USED to be the facts about you and your life.

When you finish, make a list of “Me after quarantine,” with the facts about you and your life right now.

Get clarity and understand how you still need to adapt, the things you need to let go or work on.

I regularly caught myself recalling the definition of blessing in disguise, which is the idea that something that appears to be a misfortune can have unexpected benefits.

Put your positivity hat on and honestly ask yourself: what unexpected benefits and opportunities came from this new reality created?

How to reintegrate after quarantine

#3 Respect your new fears

When living an intense situation, as this world pandemic was/is, extremes might happen after all is said and done:

A – Some people will go all in, licking the floor, partying like crazy, hugging all the strangers they pass on the streets, and burning the masks with all their hand sanitizer left.

B – Some people will become first-class germaphobes, cleaning their mail with sanitizing spray and still asking people in lines to stay 6 feet apart from them.

C – Most of us are going to be somewhat in the middle.

As you reintegrate in the world and daily life, be aware that you will probably encounter fears and behaviors you never had before. And that’s okay!

It’s okay to feel uncomfortable going to a club on a Saturday night. Or maybe keep walking around with a hand sanitizer in your bag.

Take your time to rebuild some habits in ways that make you comfortable now.

Don’t fall into comparison trap if you see some of your friends out there in pool parties, while you still don’t feel 100% comfortable with that kind of setting. Everyone should navigate this moment at their own pace.

The truth is we all went through a pretty rough collective trauma. And it may cause PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) for some. And that’s completely normal!

Respect your process and, if you feel like you need or want, look for the help of a psychologist or counselor. You don’t need to go through this alone!

What will life after quarantine be like

#4 Respect others new fears too

Besides, if you are the friend hosting the pool parties, respect the people who don’t feel comfortable coming to them.

Don’t judge those who are still cautious with cleanliness, distancing, and being in crowded places.

It’s fantastic that you can reintegrate into life after quarantine well! Share your tips and tricks, IF ASKED.

Don’t try to impose your opinions or worldviews on others that are taking it slower.

If you feel triggered by their way of doing things, distance yourself and let them go through their process peacefully.

Remember: everyone reacts to trauma differently, and this is all new for all of us. Now it’s not the time to play Judge Judy.

Respect people’s new fears, okay? All feelings are valid.

What will change after quarantine

#5 Never forget

You can call me romantic, but I really resonate with this quote/poem/verse:

“Thank you 2020 for your transparency
Thank you for showing us how we need to change
Thank you for motivating us to stand together
Thank you for opening our hearts
Thank you for holding a space where love can rise”.
– Spirit Daughter

This year has been a tough one, but a much-needed one.

Our eyes were open to outside of us, far beyond our own needs. While we had time to look inside and rethink lots of things.

Some people took advantage of it. Some freaked out.

But if you are reading this, you are one of the ones who made it through.

The question I challenge you to ask yourself is: Which lessons you learned during quarantine?

Ask that question and let it sit with you for a while. After that, make a list of your quarantine lessons (can quarenlessons become a thing?) and how they can be applied in your new normal.

Is there anything you want to keep, like your newfound love for baking, indoor movie nights, or family games during the week?

It could also be something like the mindset of saving for unexpected circumstances, support small local businesses, and cherish the simple joys of life.

Your quarantine was unique, and so are your quarenlessons (yep, I am going for it).

After quarantine plans

#6 Start small

I think I am going to have a spiritual experience the first time I go to a movie theater after quarantine. We all have been deprived of so much that it can be pretty easy to feel like we need to compensate for lost time.

The overachievement corner can be even closer if, during the quarantine, you made choices or had situations happening that created an uncomfortable circumstance.

Let’s suppose you didn’t have the motivation to workout (which is entirely okay and human!), and now you feel like you need to go on a crazy workout routine and hit the gym three times a day.

Or you fell behind on your side hustle because you felt so unmotivated during those times.

Maybe you couldn’t keep up with some habits that were good for you, like meditation, waking up early, journaling.

Also, it’s perfectly acceptable to use the newfound hope of the world going back to normal to go all in the changes you want to make to feel like you are back on track!

I am ALL IN for you feeling happy and balanced!

But don’t pick six different goals at the same time. Also, don’t adopt the mindset that you need to suffer to make them happen because you “were bad” (ugh, I hate this black and white thinking of good or bad).

Instead, become an ally to your brain and skills investing in boosting your self-efficacy. Let me explain this beautiful life-changing concept:

According to the beautiful psychology scientists, self-efficacy is the individual belief in his or her capacity to execute the behavior necessary to attain a specific goal. It also indicates the confidence in their ability to have control over their own motivation, behavior, and social environment.

Coming from that perspective, this is the reason why, if you are trying to accomplish ten thousand things at the same time, with rigorous standards and extremely high expectations, you may feel like a loser if you fail.

This will throw your self-efficacy levels to the ground, and you will eventually give up.

Still, it’s not because you are not good enough or incapable of making it work. It’s because you created unattainable goals. You set yourself up to fail.

Now, let’s imagine a different scenario. Focus on one main goal, with a manageable plan and invest yourself in creating small wins (one workout at a time, one client at a time, one morning routine at a time).

With that simple choice, you will build momentum, and your self-efficacy levels will go through the roof! This approach will create a deep and healthy self-belief, and you will slowly reach for bigger, greater things. You are ultimately reaching your main goal.

Don’t be afraid to start small. That’s actually the best-kept secret for long term success.

With that in mind, I want to share my Personal Development Checklist for beginners to help you with resources for starting small.

I know how all the tips, plans, and advice we find online can feel overwhelming. So, my intention with this checklist is to make things as easy (and fun) as possible for you! Trust me, it’s possible to start right now, exactly where you are.

It’s my present to help you kickstart life after quarantine. Plus, it’s completely free, and you can get it here.

Last thoughts ♥

Quoting the marvelous Katy Perry:

“Just because it’s over doesn’t mean it’s really over.”

So, yes… We will still be talking about this quarantine thing for quite a while until we get used to the new normal.

Similar to break up, we are going to spend a few months/weeks/maybe years adapting to what life looks like now and, most of all, to who we are now.

Have grace with yourself. You’ve been through a lot, and you made it to the other side.

Even with the ups and downs of puzzling this new season, don’t forget to feel grateful for being alive and having the ability to start over. Many others would give everything to be where you are.

Now, tell me in the comments: What was your biggest #quarenlesson? Mine was that it’s okay to slow down, but I am curious to know about yours!

Isabelle Dias

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