Why You May Experience Social Anxiety as You Emerge from the Pandemic
““Re-entry anxiety is normal for everyone,” said Hillary Ammon, PsyD, an assistant professor of clinical psychiatry in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. “Those that chose to socially distance themselves or were encouraged to complete school or work from home became comfortable with those shifts in their behaviors.”
“Now, as they reemerge and return to work and school or start to attend social gatherings, it is normal to experience some worry or discomfort for various reasons,” Ammon said.
Social anxiety can manifest in a number of ways.
“The most obvious symptoms to look for include experiencing severe discomfort in social situations and the choice to avoid social outings,” Ammon said. “Often this discomfort or avoidance is fueled by fears of being judged or embarrassed.”
You may also notice physical symptoms, such as a racing heart, sweating, nausea, dizziness, and feeling flushed in social situations.”
My Takeaways From This Article
Now that the pandemic is ending and people are slowly going back to normal, some of us may experience initial anxiety over meeting people in-person and interacting with them again. We’ve been in a sense “out of practice for so long” that it may be a little out of our comfort zone to socialize again.
It’s important to recognize that this is okay! Everyone’s lives have been impacted by the pandemic and two years without mask-less/full-on socializing may have put us out of practice for these kinds of situations. Personally, I have noticed the strangeness and awkwardness of being able to not wear a mask and approach people to converse with them normally.
Some tips and advice to ease into this transition is to, first take it easy! If you know that big social events and gatherings may be too much for you, it may be much better to start off slow and easy such as a nice one on one gathering with your friend or family. Eventually from there as you get comfortable, you’re sure to get back into the hang of things :)
Full article is here!
How has the transition from the pandemic to now been like for you?
#COVID #Pandemic #Social
@sunnyWriting4806
This one's Oh-So-Relatable, besides the many "gifts" pandemic gave us, social anxiety, or even anxiety in general is a peak one :/
The transition is hard indeed, but hey hey, everyone, we got this, one social gathering at a time. Keep your safety tool kit ( anything that helps you feel calm and grounded) ready and reassure yourself, that you'll be okay, you'll be safe and comfortable anddd you can handle it, always at your pace. Sending love to everyone! ❤️
@Sunisshiningandsoareyou
Great advice for everyone! Love the positivity and encouragement! Thanks for sharing Sun :))
We're all in this together!
@sunnyWriting4806
Ofcourse, thanks for this great post. ❤
@sunnyWriting4806 I can totally see how the pandemic definitely affected some people's ability to socialize, especially introverts! Being alone for that long definitely changes how you think and feel. As an extrovert, the pandemic was really rough on me. I just remember crying for nights on end because I thrive on seeing others and being around my friends and the change was just so drastic that it was really hard. I didn't really see anyone for close to 3 months and it was hard for me. I'm happy that the pandemic seems to be settling down (knock on wood) and that we are slowly getting back to normal!
@fruityPond7887
I'm sorry to hear that the pandemic has been such a difficult time for you! But yes definitely, it finally seems as if we are approaching the rainbow after the storm and hoping it's to stay this time. Thanks for sharing!
@sunnyWriting4806 I hope so too! The one good thing about this pandemic is that we all learned how to come together and deal with it as one human race and I think that's incredible💖
