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Now that you’re vaccinated, what next?

None of this is good news. But for now, it is the new normal. Waiting for better circumstances before restarting your life is not a viable option. The school season has started again. Sports teams are playing in front of live fans. Restaurants are open. Broadway is on the way back. Movies are premiering exclusively in theaters again.

Author:Karan Emery
Reviewer:Katharine Tate
Sep 18, 202155.9K Shares1.2M Views
Here are some uncomfortable facts we are going to all have to face:
  • Covid is still a deadly reality.
  • We are not likely to reach herd immunity.
  • The Delta variant is getting worse in some places.
  • Covid could be like the flu requiring yearly boosters.
None of this is good news. But for now, it is the new normal. Waiting for better circumstances before restarting your life is not a viable option. The school season has started again. Sports teams are playing in front of live fans. Restaurants are open. Broadway is on the way back. Movies are premiering exclusively in theaters again.
You still have to make decisions about how you are going to proceed with the nonessentials. You don’t have to go to dinner and a movie. It’s entirely up to you. Nothing says you have to go on a cruise. It would be nice. But your safety level is the only limiting factor. The new vaccine mandate is a controversy that will not be settled here. And if you have already been vaccinated, it is a moot point.
The most vaccinated statesare likely the ones that have the most options for in-person work, school, and entertainment. The hard part is figuring out what to do next. What is safe and what’s not? What about masks? What about dating? Again, these are highly personal matters to sort. In the meantime, here are a few of the things you can definitely restart now that you are vaccinated:

Good Hair Days

Now that you are fully vaccinated, it is time to stop settling for having a bad hair day every day. If you don’t start taking care of your hair, you will lose it. This is not just about vanity or aesthetic preferences. This is about hair health. Your hair will not just work itself back into good health. Those split ends are going to have to be cut out. Your roots are going to have to be reconditioned.
One thing you can do that is somewhat counterintuitive is reduce the chemical products you are using in your hair. Harsh chemical products are often used as a substitute for more difficult, long-term haircare. It is a shortcut, like sweeping dirt under a rug. It gives you a quick, aesthetic fix. But it ultimately makes your underlying problems worse. Now that you are ready to get back out there, it is time to stop with the hot fix mentality and start working on giving your hair the healthy recovery it deserves.

Outside The Box

Now that you are vaccinated, it is time you think outside the box, that box being your house. There is a difference between sheltering in place and cowering in place. Get off the treadmill and get back on the jogging trail. Get out and smell the roses, and the bakeries, and the fragrant smoke of barbecue grills.
It is also time to see the grandeur of nature up close and in person rather than in the form of a screen saver. It is not only important for you, it is important for your kids. They need to build up their natural immunities so that little things don’t prove harmful to them down the road. Kids also need a chance to run and play and fall and scrape their knees and all the rough and tumble activities that are an important part of development. They can’t get that from a video game.

Socially Acceptable

Now that you are vaccinated, you can restart your social life — the one that is not mediated by a computer screen. Is it too soon to date again? That is a personal decision. But you should do something that reconnects you with our common humanity.
Feel free to wear a mask and stay six feet apart. But get out there. Invite a friend for coffee and enjoy it on the porch while the weather is still favorable. Go to an outdoor event where there is room for separation. Our days of shaking hands might be over for a while. But there is nothing wrong with an elbow bump. It is time to get social, even if it is just baby steps.
If we do nothing, the pandemic wins. You have already been fully vaccinated. Now, get that hair back into healthy shape. Get the family back out into nature. And find acceptable ways to be social again.
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Karan Emery

Karan Emery

Author
Katharine Tate

Katharine Tate

Reviewer
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