Chiropractic + Naturopathic Doctor • January-February 2021 • From the editor

With the introduction of Instagram’s new feature “Reels” (their own version of the popular social media app “Tik Tok”), it’s been easy to get lost down the rabbit hole of scrolling video feeds to no end. I realize I’ve been mindlessly watching 30-second videos for nearly an hour. One of the videos I came across was a verison of “If you’re happy and you know it,” but it started out as: “If you’re a pandemic baby and you know it....” I won’t cover completely what’s quickly spewed out by the parent singing all in one breath, but essentially it boils down to the baby being overstimulated by everyday occurances (for example, meeting a new adult without a mask on). Later, I saw a video posted by a mom of her 4-6 month-old laughing hysterically in their car seat. The caption read: “COVID baby’s first time in the car since he was a newborn.” Well, it appears at the very least, our 2020 babies will be easily entertained.

Six feet apart, masks, home-schooling, emptied social calendars. Children are resilient, yes, but that doesn’t mean experts in their respective fields aren’t nervous about future repercussions of mental stress, avoidance, and social anxieties. Personally, I think the first concert I attend packed with people will end up being a tad overwhelming.

Recently I’ve chatted with a couple of health care practitioners about their “pandemic” practices, and what sorts of mandates they would be keeping when things are – excuse me for using this overused phrase – “back to normal.” Dr. Lombardi, for instance recently pondered whether we would see the “death of the waiting room” in a recent article for the magazine. Some say hand sanitizer stations and requirements for both employees and patients will stay, others note that masks will continue to be available for those who feel “under the weather,” but do not wish to cancel their appointment. Some practitioners will keep a standardized health checklist and continue to refuse service to those with flu-like symptoms during the typical flu season.

Which “pandemic practices” will you be keeping, if any? What lessons have you learned about your business that will stick with you and help shape your practice moving forward? Let yourself be heard, reach out to me at [email protected] if you’re interested in contibuting a short column or article.