One Year Later: Looking At Post Pandemic Life, Stressors, and Anxiety
On March 11, 2020 the World Health Organization (WHO) declared COVID-19 a global pandemic, and life as we knew it then stopped. Within a few days’ time people all over the world went from prepping for Spring Break to shelter in place orders, thinking (at the time) that these would stop the spread of the virus in a few weeks’ time.
Fast track to over a year and nearly half a million U.S. COVID-19 related deaths later, we are now seeing decreasing case numbers, widely available vaccines, and many U.S cities loosening and dropping restrictions, finally looking at getting back to ‘normal’. But after more than a year in pandemic life, filled with missed holidays, quarantine, mask mandates, and social distancing, getting back to ‘normal’ may make some feel uneasy or anxious.
A survey recently conducted by the American Psychological Association found that 49% of adults have reported feeling uneasy about the return to in person interactions.
University of Wisconsin (UW) Health Psychologist Dr. Shilagh Mirgain said just as people adjusted to the pandemic, it will take time to readjust to life after. “It took some time to get used to wearing a mask,” Mirgain said. “It’s going to take some time, if you’re vaccinated, to get used to not wearing a mask.”
So if you are one of the nearly 50% that are feeling apprehensive on the transition, social anxiety and the unknown may be at the root of it.
Social anxiety was a real thing long before the pandemic and the mental health condition that cripples sufferers with intense and persistent fear of being watched and judged by people has only increased since the onset of the pandemic.
It’s also no doubt that while we know much more about the virus than we did back in March of 2020 and that there are three very effective vaccines, we still don’t know everything, which can lead to uncertainty about return to a normal life. This includes worries such as: how long will the vaccines last? Will we need a booster? What about the variants? As humans, uncertainty can make us feel fearful, which triggers increased levels of anxiety which can cloud our perceptions and lead to us questioning both ourselves and others more.
Finding ways to cope:
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Find an information source you trust and do your own research. Use that research as a guide to stay up to date on local mandate changes, case numbers, etc.
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I personally lean on the CDC and really hone in on the science and what the experts are encouraging. I then take my own risk factors into account to drum up a plan for myself and my family.
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And also personally, I find doing research alone helps ease any anxiety I have, it gives me a sense of control back.
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Comfort Levels
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Get a feel for not only your own level, but also those around you; family, friends, coworkers. You might find each person has a different level of comfort in various settings based on their own risk factors, where they live, and whether they’re vaccinated or not. It’s important to keep in mind that each person may feel differently than you and that is okay, meaning try not to seek reassurance from those around you, do what is best for you.
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Check In With Yourself
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Coping with anxiety can be hard, but acknowledging your anxiety and its root cause can be one of the best ways to move forward.
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There will be a lot of change over the Summer and into the Fall for many of us, so it’s also equally important as you move forward to consistently check in with yourself and take note of changes you are seeing with yourself.
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How are you feeling?
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What is stressful?
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How are you handling things?
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We, as a society, keep talking about the ‘return to normal’ or getting back to ‘normal’ but it will be a while until we are all there and its very natural to feel anxious and nervous as we transition back to that. Negative, sad, and anxious emotions are not bad or a sign we have done something wrong. Over the last year, we have been prioritizing our physical health but as we step forward it’s equally important that we don’t shy away from our mental health.
Sources:
https://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/stress/2021/sia-pandemic-report.pdf
https://www.weau.com/2021/05/30/uw-health-offers-advice-for-post-pandemic-life/
