Reentry is hard. For some of us, it has been more difficult to reenter life after the pandemic than it was to retreat into the lockdown that was forced by the pandemic’s early days. While we might be eager to schedule time with friends and extended family on the 2021 calendar, our bodies feel sluggish and slow from running the marathon titled, Global Crisis: Our Fight to Stay Alive.
Most of us would agree that a healthy response to recognizing exhaustion is to request rest. Pause. Some time to be alone. Maybe even time to process what our tired minds and bodies have endured.
As a woman who leads girls in conversations about healthy body image, I am hearing young women in their late teens and early twenties talk about how angst-ridden it is to reenter social settings. After living behind their phone and laptop screens for more than a year, they lack confidence in maneuvering about in the wild.
Some feel shame because they look different, bearing masks and a few extra pounds.
Some feel nervous because they aren’t well-practiced in small talk and casual conversation that comes with meeting new people and rekindling friendships. And some feel just plain confused. They wonder, How do I navigate life from here on out, especially now that I’ve had time to reevaluate some things that I want to change?
Stress is swelling and, if not processed in safe places, stress produces anxiety. Among our young adults today, anxiety weighs heavy.
And Naomi Osaka isn’t any different in this regard. As she reenters her own social and professional spheres, she also feels the weight. At twenty three years old, she wields incredible talent that comes with responsibility and influence.
She is the winner of four Grand Slams and is the first Japanese player to win a Grand Slam Singles title. She is currently the highest paid female athlete in the world, earning 34 million dollars in endorsements alone. Today, she headlines almost every major media outlet for her unprecedented decision to attend to her mental health over attending to media interviews.