As I start doing more things that I did pre-COVID, I’m realizing more and more how much of a funk I was in overall. While I know different things have felt miserable, getting out to lunch with an old co-worker, going out for a coffee meeting, and then visiting my hometown this past weekend have really opened my eyes to how damaging the pandemic has been mentally.
Last week, I wrote down a handful of goals I’d like to do before the end of May — that post felt like a nice little jumpstart to at least start turning things around mentally. If I could start writing these things down, then maybe they’ll actually happen.
Right away I crossed off one of my goals of starting a run before 7 a.m. The next challenge is starting and finishing a run before 7. There is a big difference in that for me. Getting up early in the morning was such a normal thing until last spring. I feel like it should be easy to get back to doing that, but it’s a constant struggle.
As more daylight is settling in for late spring and summer, I’m finding myself naturally waking up a little bit earlier, so over these next few weeks, I’ll be working on getting back to what I previously considered normal.
This past weekend, for the first time since Feb. 1 and 2, 2020, I ran in my hometown. I usually run in Bedford a couple of times a year and always love it. Going that long, though, made me realize that I need to make it much more of a regular thing. Every few months — 3-4 times a year — not just a late fall and early summer thing.
I also ran with my longtime friend Travis — we’ve logged hundreds of miles together. Catching up and talking for a half hour or so was also much more therapeutic than I imagined it would be.
These things from the past week are so small, yet so significant. They’ll be even more impactful if I can continue crossing goals off my list and setting new reasonable ones whenever I feel like it. The way forward already has a new mindset for me. It’s not “back to normal,” nor will it be ever again.
Real David H. 
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