Covid and Social Anxiety

As restrictions begin to ease and life starts opening up again, many of us will feel overwhelmed by the sudden readjustment back to ‘normal’ that we are experiencing. Parties, festivals, gatherings, holidays and so on have all been put on hold for the last year, but suddenly with restrictions lifted, we have been thrown back into society. 

At the start of lockdown in 2020, it seemed impossible to adjust to working from home, online meetings, virtual parties and events, and only leaving the house for essentials. However, this soon became the new normal for many people, and very quickly our homes became a comfort zone that we might find difficult to leave. For many of us, we are unadjusted to social situations and big gatherings. Time is needed to readjust to this ‘normal’, and the process can cause feelings of stress and anxiety to arise. 

Habits we’ve formed during lockdown can be hard to break - for example you can’t roll out of bed and into a real-life meeting like an online one! Combating the negative feelings we might feel during our readjustment into normal life is really important - chances are you will have things to do and get on with that you’ll need to readjust really quickly to life as it changes. As comforting as it is to sit at home for days on end, life is reopening and you should try to reopen with it. 

One way I like to calm myself down if I feel stressed before I go out is to practice some breathing exercises. Things such as meditation or just focusing on your surroundings for a minute can help to ground you and calm you down if you are panicking about a social situation.

Even small things such as going to your first hairdresser appointment can feel weird after a long lockdown and a long break from it - but ultimately it should be a positive experience to see people you haven’t seen in a while, to catch up and to readjust. 

Another way to make the adjustment process smoother is to try not to plunge yourself immediately into a stressful situation. Sometimes this can’t be avoided, but if possible you could start by conquering small things that stress you out and then move onto bigger things. For example, seeing a couple of friends for lunch would be better as your first move out of lockdown than going to a massive festival. Doing smaller things and getting used to that first can help with your stress when you start going out more. 

For many of us, the adjustment from online to face-to-face teaching and work has also been hard to deal with. Luckily, everything gets better with time and many of us will already be readjusted. However, for people starting face-to-face work or studies this September, try to keep a similar work style as you had during lockdown. Obviously this may not be entirely possible, but keeping notes and organisation the same can help with time management and changes in your schedule. Working or studying face-to-face ultimately means less time available (due to commute). Readjusting your schedule to fit in commute times is really important for organisation. 

Finally, the most important thing is to try and take account of your mental health during this adjustment process. If you feel yourself getting overwhelmed, talking to someone you trust can help ease your worries. Many people are also going through this, and it helps to know you’re not alone. Talking to a school or university counsellor can help, or even just family and friends. No problem is too small - if something is bothering you it helps to share the burden! It wouldn’t be a Zahra Merali blog post if I didn't end with this - remember, asking for help is a sign of strength, not weakness!