Coping with COVID Reentry Anxiety
The COVID-19 pandemic quickly changed our lives in so many unexpected ways. Now with the uncertainty of the Delta variant and most stay-at-home restrictions lifted, it’s not surprising that many people are anxious about moving back into their pre-pandemic activities.
About half of adults say they feel nervous about in-person contact once the pandemic ends, finds the American Psychological Association’s Stress in America poll.
About half of vaccinated people are still wearing a mask outside of their home, even after the CDC relaxed mask mandates, according to Axios/Ipsos data.
“Covid-19 anxiety syndrome” has emerged as a condition. People with it deal with the inability to leave the house because of COVID fears and are doing things like regularly checking for symptoms even though they have not been in a risky situation, according to research in the United Kingdom
So how can you manage COVID reentry anxiety?
There’s no right or wrong way to handle reentry, but here are some expert backed tips:
Take small steps. Dr. Ilyse Dobrown DiMarco writes about using the principles of “exposure therapy” to manage reentry anxiety for the Washington Post. Exposure therapy is a treatment approach where a person is safely exposed to things that scare them in an effort to gradually overcome their fear. If getting back into social situations scares you, consider slowly reintroducing the activities you’ve missed most, and monitor your comfort levels. Don’t rush into anything.
Practice self-care. Remember when we told you about the importance of self-care? Now is an excellent time to check-in with yourself, evaluate what makes you anxious and add some healthy practices into your routine to manage your own well-being.
Stay informed with credible sources. Fact-based information is really important right now and will help you feel good about your reentry choices. Make sure you are getting your information from credible public health sources like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization.
Enlist help. If you’ve tried to manage your anxiety but feel like you aren’t making progress, try working with a mental health professional.
And please know if you or anyone you know is in crisis – trained help is available for you 24 hours a day.
The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline provides 24/7, free and confidential phone & text crisis support. Call or text 988 to get started.
Editor’s note: Updated to remove references to the Crisis Text Line. Reporting from Politico shows the mental health crisis organization shared conversation data with a related for-profit company. Learn more.