Despite our technological ability to connect and be productive, it turns out that physically isolating from one another for months at a time takes an unpredictable toll on our society.

It also left many of us in a constant state of vigilance that is physically and emotionally draining.

I have observed this pervasive sense of anxiety in focus groups. Just the other week, for example, a moderator in one group asked the participants to think about the things that make them feel hopeful these days.“There are just too many unknown factors to feel hopeful,” said one of the men. Another man in the group, when referring to his feelings about his own financial standing, said that he was “preparing for the worst and hoping for the best.”

“I don’t know what to believe anymore,” said one younger woman in a recent group. “I don’t know whether to be hopeful for the future that things are going to be better or to be scared. What we’re going through right now, though it’s slightly getting better, it’s still not like it was before.”