Post-pandemic Mental Health concerns are real. Protecting Your Mental Health while Returning to Post-pandemic Life is critical for people with anxiety and depression.
The return to a more face-to-face life can be overwhelming to people with anxiety and depression. After a year without birthday parties, weddings, dates, concerts or family reunions, we’ve all got post-pandemic mental health things to get through, at some point.
But forcing ourselves back into socializing is not necessary, experts say. Many people are just starting to feel the trauma of the last 12 months as we creep out of survival mode. We need time to go at our own pace instead of loading up on obligations. People who’ve never had panic attacks or social anxiety have developed the habit of being anxious in crowds. That’s a habit that we developed under conditions of fear and anxiety, and it’s sometimes hard to unlearn those.
Lisa Strohman, a Scottsdale, Ariz.-based clinical psychologist, recommends (as part of your post-pandemic mental health strategy) cutting down on social media before returning to real socializing. The pandemic taught us to become dependent on the former, she said, but it’s not going to make us feel any more connected.
So what can you do? Here are some expert recommendations:
Talk (about how you feel)
Therapy is an important part of processing our feelings about the last year, and what’s to come. Being honest and vulnerable will help people recognize some of their fears and obstacles before diving back in. We need to learn when to push ourselves and when not to. It is important to talk about their discomfort and their experiences with it. Furthermore, some of us aren’t exactly looking forward to returning to “normal” life and will miss the solitude of quarantine. Saving money, avoiding onerous obligations (and people) and working from home are all reasons for some people to actually miss the lockdowns. For them, the issue may be they’ve worked on their social anxiety and panic disorder before, and now have regressed, so it’s important to talk about and plan for what to expect to look after your post-pandemic mental health concerns.
Listen (to your brain)
Spend more time consciously noting your comfort level in different situations. Recognizing discomfort isn’t just about being picky; it’s about knowing what drains or gives us energy. Turning down an invitation could be a positive thing if it saves us from feeling trapped, unhappy or tired. At the end of the day if we are focused on anything outside of ourselves, we begin to lose control of ourselves. The introvert forcing themselves to go out is not going to feel like they’re living authentically.
Prepare (for anything)
Making informed decisions will help ease the anxiety in group situations we can’t control. You have every right to know what you’re getting into, so don’t hesitate to ask who’s vaccinated, how many people will be there, and other questions that directly address the safety of the event. Start slow with small, outdoor gatherings to build comfort. Avoid pricey tickets to events if you haven’t been to any in a while. Don’t commit a lot of money to something unless you’re ready for it. Peer pressure and social pressure, and a new thing “mask-shaming” could cause a lot of people to avoid situations so it’s best to know what you’re getting into as you work to address your post-pandemic mental health concerns.
Be sensitive (and kind)
Our personal-space bubbles ballooned during the pandemic, but everyone’s boundaries are still different. Some people may have anxiety reactions that are unexpected, so it’s important to be more careful about taking offense or interpreting someone else’s behavior in a negative, personal way. The rules of social engagement are different, and we’ve gotten used to empty chairs and lots of space. How do you comfortably ask what someone’s vaccine situation is? It’s kind of like STDs and dating: ‘What’s your vax status?’ ”