Brené Brown interviewed social psychologist Dr. Amy Cuddy (I knew her best from her popular Ted Talk) about an article Dr. Cuddy wrote on pandemic flux syndrome. The article was appropriately titled “Why this stage of the pandemic makes us so anxious.”
I can’t say it much better than Dr. Cuddy did in her article and in her interview, but it was extremely validating to hear her talk through the optimism so many of us started the summer with compared to the anxiety that followed . . . the delta variant, the underwhelming feeling of ‘returning to normal’, the fact that there is no clear line in the sand when this will be over and there probably will never be. My brain likes demarcation, and with this pandemic, we’ll likely never get a clear ‘day that this was over.’
She talks about how many people were looking to either retreat completely or create a major change. I can relate.
“All in all,” Dr. Cuddy writes, “if you’re experiencing increased sadness or anxiety along with an urge to dramatically change something about your life — some of the markers of pandemic flux syndrome — be assured you’re not alone.”
I recommend the article and listening to the podcast if you have time. Brené Brown always has a way of getting to the heart of the matter in her interviews.
With Love,
Natalie