Tips for Socializing in Person Again: Communicate Your Boundaries

When returning to face-to-face interactions after the year we have all faced, it can be difficult to overcome feelings of discomfort, awkwardness, and anxiousness. Our second tip in easing this discomfort of returning to a somewhat normal routine is to acknowledge that your boundaries and limits in relationships may have shifted in the past year and that the same may have happened for the people you love and interact with the most. 

Maybe your energy around social interactions has shifted in that you are more extroverted, or your desire to interact with others has increased.  Or, maybe you have found that you need fewer social interactions in order to feel at peace and content.  Maybe you aren’t sure how you feel and you need more time to adjust before you jump right back into a “normal” routine of in-person interactions.

Wherever you may be in the journey of returning to a normal routine, it’s okay to honour your feelings about that process and to give yourself permission to move at your own pace. Setting boundaries with loved ones can help you ease into social interactions in a way that feels right to you.  Honouring the boundaries that others set is equally as important in resuming a normal and healthy social life after over one year of isolation and social distancing.