In most cities we’ve seen offices, entertainment, and schools reopen. Some people are struggling with anxiety about re-entering. There may be increased anxiety about socializing in person, feeling scrutinized by others or feeling self-conscious. For other people it may feel or be risky to engage in-person due to health concerns. Here are a few points to consider.
What level is physically safe for you to re-enter?
You may have a health concern that makes full re-entry unsafe right now. Talk to your doctor and decide what is physically safe for you. Important to note though, physical safety and comfort are not the same. Any time you’re dealing with anxiety, you will experience discomfort. If you are physically safe to re-enter and have decided you want to start doing more, expect that it is going to be uncomfortable.
Avoidance=Discomfort
Whenever you avoid something, you’re confirming that the ‘something’ is dangerous. The more you avoid it, the more dangerous it This feeling is very uncomfortable. If you’ve been at home for most of the past 1.5 years, there has been (reasonable) avoidance. You may have avoided social interaction, crowds, or driving. Given avoidance, being around others can feel very dangerous. Increased ‘feeling’ of danger is not proportionate to the true level of danger.
Create a hierarchy of change
Don’t expect yourself to go back to ‘business as usual’ right away. In working with anxiety, we often create a hierarchy of feared stimuli. If you’re afraid of spiders, you don’t immediately hold a spider. The same with re-entering. If you’ve been fairly isolated, you don’t immediately go to a crowded concert. Make a list of the least anxiety provoking situation to the most and slowly work your way up.
*Important to note, the most anxiety provoking situation is never something that is truly dangerous. You can take reasonable precautions (e.g. wearing a mask and sanitizing your hands after touching high touch areas).
There are a number of people who have felt considerable anxiety and feel incapable of leaving their home. If you or someone close to you is in this position, it may be worth looking into anxiety treatment with our center or another provider. Most providers are providing telehealth options at the current time.
