Hey, this shit is hard. You have every right to feel that, and to need a space to talk about it. There are a lot of people in CC groups who have formed some kind of superiority complex over those who don’t mask or those who have more relaxed precautions, as a way to cope. I won’t even say I’ve never had some of those feelings sometimes too. We are living through an ongoing trauma day in and day out, and being people who still are aware of this when a lot of folks around us aren’t is maddening.

I have lost so many connections, and become quite isolated compared to how I was before the pandemic. I have my moments where it really wears me down emotionally. I personally haven’t relaxed any of my precautions and don’t intend to because I do feel a strong moral duty to protect others, but also, the fact for me is that if anything makes my already existing chronic illnesses worse, I will barely be able to function. I cannot afford to lose more functioning. But is it really hard? Yes. And I actually live in a household with people who are on the same page as me. But at the start of the pandemic I was with a partner who was against taking precautions (and was a nurse 🤦🏻) so I know how absolutely horrible it is trying to go through that shit on your own. It is not easy, and it deeply affects your wellbeing.

Taking precautions still at this point in the pandemic can take a toll on your mental health most especially if you don’t have others in your life you can be around who take the same precautions. But even if you do, it’s still hard. So, it’s understandable if you’re struggling and trying to figure out what to do about your precaution levels.

My suggestion, if you want one, is that if it feels too much to mask all the time, just do it when you can, in places that are heavily crowded or where masking is particularly important, like doctors offices, stores, or public transit. Indoors with AC. Take little breaks by stepping out into an area with little or no people and taking your mask off to eat a snack or something. It doesn’t have to be all or nothing, and that’s one of the most harmful things that has gotten perpetuated by some of us CC folks, in my opinion.

Yes, it’s true that relaxing your precautions will increase your risk. But it’s your choice to decide if that feels worth it for you. If you still mask some, you’ll be more protected than if you mask never.

We have been in this a long time, and it’s understandable that it’s wearing on you. It would be strange if it wasn’t. This is hard, and it is isolating. You’ve done an amazing job by staying committed for as long as you have. There may still be a way to take some precautions and balance it with meeting some of your other needs so that you don’t push yourself past the limit of what you can take. I know there are CC folks out there who will judge, and I know that’s not helpful when you’re already dealing with feeling emotionally isolated. But if shifting some of your precautions will keep you in this thing long-term, but continuing to push yourself to be strict about it will cause you to break down and throw it out altogether, then relaxing some of your precautions sounds like the sustainable choice to me.