Anonymous Coward · 2mo
hi, i was wondering if you had any tips on how to not feel so socially-drained due to wearing a mask? i've been masking regularly ever since the start of covid, and i still do it even today, but it's so difficult to do it when everyone else doesn't wear one anymore :( i know this is a very self-centered problem but i hate being outside because i hate being seen with a mask. i know its importance, but i just feel pressured to take it off because literally everyone else isn't wearing one. i also feel that i'll be discriminated against if i wear one to job interviews 😭 sorry for the long and kind of ventish ask i just wish masks were mandated again so everyone would wear one again :(
it sucks because masking in a lot of spaces even with the increased covid transmission rates this season is still seen as optional... it's also a social contagion thing, I notice more patients at the clinic who come back end up wearing one because I was wearing one! I was not discriminated at a new job interview I went to for wearing a mask so that's a plus. also, mask chains are a game changer. people now think it's also a fashion statement and it's a way to kind of gamify the "social mirroring" aspect of whether ppl mask or not. I've seen some really adorable mask chain accessories and success stories of it getting people around them to start masking up again....
also carrying a zine or a fact sheet / fact card about covid transmission rates can help. also saying "it's flu season" has made people understand it better bc of the societal """controversies"""" (I hate saying that) around even just saying the phrase "COVID"
