Coping with Social Anxiety Post-Pandemic
If you have existed in the past year, odds are that you have had very limited social interactions recently. If you are in the majority of the people who have existed in the past year, odds are that you may have forgotten the true experience of social interactions. Without the daily practice of speaking or interacting with others, you may find yourself with a little uneasiness surrounding the return to normal society and interacting with actual people again. Nearly gone are the days of endless Zoom meetings that permitted you the luxury of attending class sans pants, and nearly gone are the days of staying locked inside for a fear of catching the virus that shall not be named. I’ve struggled nearly my entire life with crippling social anxiety—social anxiety which made life much worse because of its conflict with my extroversion. Being forced to avoid social interactions resulted in a quick decline in my mental health and productivity, however, without the social anxiety being much of an issue, I was quickly able to get comfortable as a hermit. Now that things have opened up, I have been apprehensive about seeing people and attending classes in-person again.
The other day, I was joking with a friend about how movies that show crowds make me cringe now. For whatever reason, one year out of the twenty-two I had been living has been enough to change how I see normalcy. Even seeing someone’s face in public has resulted in my whole body tensing up as it has become so regular to see masks. While I am vaccinated and have started to wear my mask less frequently, I’m worried about putting trust in the honors-system for others’ vaccination status. It will take a lot of time before I am completely secure in “normal” environments, and I know I’m not alone.
If you’re reading this, you must have some apprehension surrounding the return of social-interactions too. After all we have been through in this past year, these feelings are completely justified. It’s hard to accept that after over a year of following strict guidelines things can be returning to normal in just a few weeks. It’s hard to get over the ways we have been scared into our houses and away from others (#socialdistancing). It’s hard to realize that our social skills have laid dormant for a year. It’s hard to comprehend that many of the connections we have made in the last year have not been in real life (who knows how tall anyone actually is?). All of these concerns are valid, and these next few months will be difficult.
I just got back from a “normal” vacation to Lake Michigan (and procrastinated on writing this until today—the day it will be posted—so it will be shorter than my usual posts), and after fearing the return to normalcy, the vacation made me realize how much I missed things. There was something reassuring about seeing crowds along the beach, people smiling at one another, and personal-space bubbles being broken. I heard live music for the first time in forever and was able to experience a packed restaurant. Very few people seemed to be darting around each other to maintain the 6ft social-distancing guidelines. I was able to meet a virtual friend in-person for coffee. Things just felt normal again. I never imagined how much I could miss being on a busy street and weaving through crowds to see attractions. The trip helped me overcome majority of my anxiety surrounding interacting with people because I remembered how good things used to feel. Even though I started the trip wearing a mask everywhere, I eventually embraced the optional-mask policies to experience complete “normalcy.”
In case you don’t have a vacation planned to act as a change catalyst, here are a few things to remember to help you to cope with the anxiety you may be experiencing about returning to normal life.
1. You’re not alone
You really aren’t alone. Everyone (who has been taking the pandemic seriously) has been shut away from people for a year. The discomfort you may feel upon meeting someone is most likely mutual, and there is no reason to be self-conscious about it.
2. Remember the good times
I never thought I could experience such joy from seeing a crowd. Reach deep into your memory for the pre-COVID experiences that you may have taken for granted, and think about how great it could feel to do that again.
3. Get vaccinated
If you still aren’t vaccinated and your anxiety stems from a fear of getting COVID, please get vaccinated. If you’re afraid of needles, check out my last post. For those of you who are vaccinated but are holding back, take a look at the newest CDC guidelines and live your life according to them rather than hyper-restricting
4. Reach out to some old friends to start
The easiest way to start socializing again is to socialize with people you used to be comfortable with. If you haven’t been seeing friends, reach out to them and schedule something. Once you’re comfortable with people you already know, consider attending larger gatherings or meeting some of the friends you have only met online.
5. Accept that this will be difficult
No matter how easy it seems in theory, reconnecting with others after a year of isolation will be hard. You may struggle at first, and that’s ok. In order to get better at anything, you must fail a few times. You can’t improve if you don’t try.
Before I close, I also want to make a note for those who are feeling apprehensive because your appearance changed over the pandemic. No one notices things as much as you do. Everyone has struggled to maintain healthy habits, and most people have gained weight. It’s ok. Your weight does not define you, and hiding yourself from people because of it will only make it worse. Embrace who you are in the moment, and remember that most of your fear is in your head.
I hope that some of this can speak to your anxiety about returning to normal. If it did speak to you, let me know and share with a friend. My podcast is launching soon, so next week, I will release a short teaser article about it. If you have any topics you want me to cover, please let me know.