Are we being conditioned with talk of a new normal?

This week’s blog has been on my mind for many weeks. I have resisted if not shied away from writing this for fear of how you would think of me. Would I be accused of non-conformity? Of not being positive? Of being resistant to change? Would I cause offence? Would people think me insensitive? None of these are my intentions however, I now write this because I believe people are kind enough to respect what others are thinking. So here goes.

Everywhere I turn we are bombarded with the message of this New Normal. We are expected to embrace and almost to accept this is how life is going to be moving forward. This is temporary isn’t it? Or are we all now expected to never touch another human being again?  I am afraid if this is the case then this New Normal can take a running jump! (I have toned this down). Before you all refuse to read any further, I’m a massagetherapist: I believe in the power of human contact.

Touch is such a powerful tool. I’m not a massive hugger, but all I have wanted to do since this started is to hug everyone! Again, this is an innate thing. We innately know that touch has tremendous power: When we comfort a child who has fallen over, we hug them. When we comfort someone who is upset or has had bad news, we use touch to show we care. We hug for good news too: to show we are happy, we are pleased for someone. It is something that we instinctively do. It comforts and consoles. There is power in that hug.

Now at the moment we can’t do any of that, unless that person is in our household. I feel, as sentient human beings, that is a tough ask. It certainly isn’t normal. Personally, I don’t want my subconscious to hear this term New Normal being associated with avoiding other people, avoiding touch. As I say, it is only temporary, isn’t it?

I worry about the message this is sending to our children about being a sensitive human: I don’t feel that the term New Normal is appropriate. Do what you need to do to make this experience more comfortable for you and your family and get through it. But remember, it's just another experience. It is temporary.

When this is all over (and it will end), when we are able to hug and offer a hand of comfort again, are we then going to have to re-train ourselves to re-accept that physical human contact is perfectly normal? I’m not just saying this as me, but as a mum of two young boys who are also hearing this term of New Normal. I feel compelled each time to remind them that these changes are necessary in the short term to help people to feel safe, and yes, they are temporary until we can return to (the true) normal.

So, I respectfully refuse to accept this as Normal. We are simply going through a period of time where we need to make adjustments in ourlives in order to feel safe and protect each other Those adjustments may vary from person to person as we all have different beliefs, experiences and fears.