The Return Of The Fog: A Wellness Check-In For 2025’s Unofficial COVID Wave

Rising cases. Masks in hospitals. A few headlines you scroll past at first, and then forward to a friend—“Is this serious?” It’s not a nationwide panic, but the conversation is back. And with it comes a low hum of anxiety. Not enough to cancel life, but just enough to mess with your nervous system. We’re not in lockdown. There’s no national broadcast. But there is something in the air—and it’s not just the virus. It’s a familiar unease. A quiet, creeping fog that’s hard to name but easy to feel.

This isn’t about panic. It’s about permission. Permission to feel weird. To slow down. To do a wellness check-in with yourself—because your body remembers even when the world wants to move on. Here’s what to do when your brain is reactivating its 2020 survival file, even though life looks totally normal on the surface:

The anxiety is real. Stop trying to override it.

Even if you’re physically fine, your nervous system might be reacting to patterns it already knows.
That scratch in your throat? That old anxiety loop? That itch to check the news at 2 AM?

You’re not spiralling. You’re remembering. And you’re not alone.

You saw the news. Your body clocked it. Even if you’re going about your day like usual, your mind may have already braced for round two. That’s normal. Don’t bypass it. Just name it. “This feels familiar. And I don’t like it.” That’s all.

Refresh your routine—don’t overhaul it.

Don’t suddenly throw turmeric into every meal. You’re not becoming 'That Person.' Just reintroduce whatever kept you grounded last time:

Vitamin C, zinc, and an ORS sachet in your bag, A functional hydration drink

Steam or saltwater gargle before bed

Mask when you're in a crowd—quietly, without the commentary

Add a ten-minute walk or stretch session. Move the cortisol out. 

You don’t need a 20-step immunity protocol or a shopping cart full of supplements. Sometimes, it’s the quiet things that help you feel okay These are the anchor habits. The ones that say: I’m still here. I’ve still got me.
If You Want to Support Your Body Too (Gently)
This isn’t a checklist. Just a menu. Pick what feels good.

– Chyawanprash in the morning
– Ginger-tulsi kadha at night
– Saltwater gargle after crowded spaces
– A little sunlight first thing
– A 3-minute breathwork practice (box breathing, alternate nostril, or just a long exhale)

You don’t need a new regime. You just need to remember: your body’s listening. Speak to it with care.

You’re allowed to say no—even if “technically it’s fine.”

Someone might say, “It’s just a cough,” or “It’s probably not COVID.” You don’t owe them exposure. If you’re not comfortable, don’t go. You don’t need the right answer. You need the right boundary. You don’t owe anyone a hot take or a news update. Mute the group chat if you need to, set a 5-minute limit on your COVID news scroll and say no to dinner plans if your gut says no—even if your throat says “I’m fine.”

Boundaries aren’t dramatic. They’re protective.

Stop doomscrolling—seriously, stop.

This isn’t 2020, and you don’t need to react like it is. Avoid falling down WhatsApp rabbit holes or second-guessing every sniffle. Stick to one news source. Unfollow drama-heavy accounts. And if you’re in a loop? Log off for a few hours. The news will still be there.

Let me say it again, this isn’t 2020. There’s no lockdown. No mad scramble for sanitisers.
But that doesn’t mean it’s easy. This moment comes with its own flavour of anxiety—slower, quieter, more internalised. It’s a new kind of mental weight, and if you’re feeling it, you deserve rest. Grace. A little softness.

So let this be your permission slip.
To pause.
To check in.
To not be okay, and still be trying.

You’re allowed to feel a little foggy. You’re also allowed to clear your skies—one ritual, one boundary, one breath at a time.