By Corinne Yeadon, of the Being Better private therapy practice in Skipton

MEET ups and socialising with friends and family are being planned and scheduled.

This would seem a straightforward business requiring minimum effort, however this does not seem to be the case.

The climate for more than a year has been one of isolation, constraints and restrictions. It is not unusual that we are out of practice making decisions which are not government, health guidance or rulings.

This is not just about what we are “allowed” to do, but about being out of practice making choices.

Any socialising up until this point has not been without procedures and regulations, which is hardly conducive to spontaneous fun.

A new social anxiety has been created, which may or may not be based on risk of contracting the virus, but can purely be rooted in an inability to make a decision because of “what if?”

There is also the dilemma of who you see first and the fear of causing offence in terms of who is a perceived priority. Where do you go? What do you do? Evidence from the past year has informed us that if plans are made they are likely to be altered or cancelled.

The phrase ‘back to normal’ is a frequently heard statement, do we really want to go back to normal? Is that even possible?

Surely a life-changing episode such as a global pandemic has triggered learning about ourselves, reorganised priorities and prompted us to do things differently?

It is important to be gentle with ourselves and take time to adjust to what has been a catastrophic episode which we are negotiating our way out of.

The temptation is to cram the missed opportunities of the last year into a month. Frenetic, jam-packed diaries rarely support confident decision making, only increase feelings of being overwhelmed.

I have a birthday coming up, along with much indecision about having a meal out, made more challenging by Covid wonky taste/smell, restrictions on numbers and a first world problem of a raft of fabulous Skipton eateries.

Some guidance and suggestions by the likes of Boris, JVT, Matt and Rishi would be a much more welcome news bulletin.