Tracey’s Pandemiquette Tips

Pandemiquette- the term for proper manners and gracious behavior while navigating a pandemic.

So friends….what are your best tips?

Here’s some of mine:

1. Give grace as much as you give space. None of us have had to do this before, so just give people a break when they hurt your feelings, or come off as rude or fumble a bit.

2. Remember it’s not about you. Others’ decisions about what quarantine looks like may have nothing to do with you. So let them do what THEY need to do and understand that you don’t know all they are navigating.

3. When at a restaurant, perhaps politeness would be putting your mask on, even after seated, when talking to your masked server. Maybe… just masking up when someone you’re with is masked, is a good start. And then if they say “oh you don’t need to,” you can decide.

4. Ask for what you want up front -with kindness, rather than complain about what you didn’t get afterwards. Prepare people you are going to be with, with what your expectations are regarding social distancing. Just let people know what you want in a way that is respectful and gracious. Just because you’re cautious or fearful doesn’t mean you get a pass to be rude and judgy. Remember it used to be not that long ago, that when folks got close to us, it was a sign of relationship, safety, warmth…

5. Don’t try to make sense of all the rules. We are all hypocrites in how we are dealing with this.

6. Smile… BIG so your eyes crinkle. People can tell even behind the mask. And it matters right now to express warmth and kindness any way we can.

7. Look into those beautiful eyes looking at you. Kinda have to now, right?

8. Keep your sense of humor. It’s all just so weird and laughing at ourselves in the awkwardness will help us all get through it.

SO, those were my pandemiquette tips – what are yours?