Almost one year since so-called ‘freedom day’ – and about six months since the last big case surge (although it feels as if we’re heading for one again), I think I’m finally coming to terms with what life after a pandemic actually looks like.

Inevitably, all the changes many of us made when restrictions were lifted (such as quitting jobs, moving home or forging new relationships) are starting to feel old. And with no new ‘landmarks’ to dread or look forward to, we’re finally getting the chance to process everything that’s happened – and worry about what comes next.

In a bid to find out whether my theory could hint at why I – and many of my friends – have been feeling a little weird recently, I reached out to the therapist Jodie Cariss, founder of The Self Space and author of the new book How To Grow Through What You Go Through. She believes the sense of uncertainty that’s left us all feeling “strange” at the moment could definitely be to do with the pandemic – especially when it comes to the way it forced us to reimagine ourselves and the lives we wanted to lead.

Mental health: “The summer I dreamt of is here – so why do I suddenly feel lost?”