As we cautiously welcome the end of this lockdown and come out, blinking, into the sunlight, many of us are carrying the weight of just what the COVID pandemic has done to us and may be fearful of what the future may hold.
For some, the defining legacy of the pandemic has been one of loss: the loss of someone dear, the loss of a job or business, the loss of a sense of identity, or simply – but also difficult to bear – the loss of social connections and of routine.
The witnessing of others’ grief on such a large scale may also have contributed to trauma. There may also be guilt: guilt at surviving when others have not, guilt at the possibility of having unknowingly passed on the virus to others, the guilt of still having a job when so many have lost theirs.
For others, life has become increasingly challenging on a day-to-day basis as we’ve struggled to cope with impossible situations on the front-line of the pandemic and, at home, the difficulties of balancing work demands with the needs of family.
