It Might Be Time to Break Up Your Pandemic Pod (Yes, you really need to start seeing other people)

[brooklynite]

New York Times

You’ve been vaccinated. You’ve joyfully ripped off your mask when outdoors. Now it’s time to pop your quarantine bubble, right?

But finding a good moment to break up the pandemic pod can be tricky. Do you call a meeting? Send a group text to the “quaranteam”? Ceremoniously rip up a contract? Is it possible to ghost someone when they’re practically living in your house?

It may get intense. The quarantine, said Margaret Clark, a psychology professor and director of the Clark Relationship Science Laboratory at Yale University, seemed to have served as a relationship magnifier. “If your relationships were already fraught, the quarantine made them more fraught.”

That might be doubly true for one’s podmates, who have had to become surrogates for all other relationships. “We all have a variety of relationships that serve different purposes,” said Dr. Clark. “Without them, more responsibilities fell on those you were with.”

[Hugin]

1. Eh, I had no pod per se...

My usual extended pre-COVID-19 contacts simply became more virtual.

The only impact on me from the COVID diaspora was my commute was much much shorter and the food was better.

I don't see any huge rush for me to make any changes.

[RegularJam]

2. So looking forward to my second vaccine! nt

[Hugin]

4. It is a wonderful relief...

To know you finally have immunity.

[luvs2sing]

3. No pod here, either.

Just Hubster and me. At the beginning, we were in a pod with two friends, one who had hip surgery the first week of lockdown, and the other who had knee replacement in early May. We all took care of each other, I provided meals for both of them during their convalescence. But once they were both mobile again, we naturally reverted back to our usual friendships. We’ve kept up with our core group of friends through small outdoor, distanced gatherings when the weather cooperates.

[Hugin]

6. My driveway saw much...

PAH-TAY action, too.

No COVID incidents, but, a snake fell out of a tree at one point. As God is my witness, I didn't know snakes could climb trees.

[ProudMNDemocrat]

5. Went to a SMALL Renaissance Festival this past weekend.

It felt good to get laced up in my corset and bodice of my gown once again. Met new people and saw people happy to be in garb again.

It was out of doors, in the open, socially distant done could get.

[tanyev]

7. LOL. I was an anti-social introvert before the pandemic and I'm not going to stop now.

[2naSalit]

9. Same here...

Not much really changed for me in that manner. I just figured out which of my acquaintances were also reclusive in nature.

[dweller]

8. Hahahaha

yeh, NO ...


✌🏻

[joetheman]

10. I didn't really know how comforting it is to be alone sometimes.

I really didn't need all those phony people in my life just as I didn't need all that "stuff" I tossed out.