Masks are Great for Sensitives

Five reasons why I’ll want to keep using a mask after the pandemic is over.

Photo by L N on Unsplash

An interesting side effect of the coronavirus pandemic is getting comfortable wearing a mask in public. I was one of the early adopters and, after the initial uncomfortable 30 minutes or so, I’ve been a fan ever since. Here’s why:

1. People are more likely to leave you alone. As a sensitive, I generally like to keep my distance from people and mostly prefer to be left alone when I’m in public. Sure sometimes I like to talk to people but it doesn’t take too much before I’ve had my fill of social interaction. Masking makes it easier for me to support my high need for social isolation.
2. I’m less likely to catch colds or flus that may be going around. People in Asia have been using masks this way for a long time. I expect this will become more socially acceptable in the west.
3. The mask keeps my nose warm in the winter months.
4. I can stick my tongue out at irritating people and no one gets upset.
5. I’m harder to recognize which is helpful when I’m trying to avoid that one irritating guy that talks non-stop to anyone who he thinks he might know.

I wonder, are these good reasons to continue using masks after the pandemic is over? Or is this just a sign that pandemic exhaustion manifests in many weird ways? Does anyone else feel the same way?