As we are starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel with the COVID-19 pandemic some people are starting to experience anxiety about having to return to their “normal” life. Since the pandemic lasted over a year, a lot of people have adjusted to a new normal that they’re now comfortable with. Because we have been told to stay home more and physically socially distance from others, it has led to people spending more and more time with the family they live with and people in their quarantine bubble. A lot of people had the luxury of working from home or anywhere that they can get access to WiFi. This led many people to move to a new location since they could truly work from anywhere. Now that millions of Americans are getting vaccinated, businesses and people in general are starting to discuss how they will operate after the COVID-19 is no longer a high risk. The thought about returning to normal has caused many people to feel anxious about making this transition.

Anchor Therapy is a counseling center in Hoboken, NJ with psychotherapists specialized in helping children, teens, adults, and couples with anxiety, depression, relationship issues, trauma, life transitions, and more. Anchor Therapy is accepting new clients and is now providing in-person sessions and teletherapy sessions to residents of New Jersey, New York, Florida, North Carolina, and Utah.

Find out the facts:
Before you even start to go down the rabbit hole of over analyzing all of the potential bad things that can happen as the world starts to open up again, take a minute to reflect on what is actually happening for you in this moment.
Ask yourself:
- What are the changes that have happened around you lately versus a year ago when the pandemic started?
- As things open up and feel a bit safer as people are getting vaccinated, are you starting to feel more comfortable doing some activities that felt very unsafe a year ago or even months ago?
As the weather gets warmer as well you may start to attend events or get togethers outdoors again.
Take this time to reflect on what you have done so far when it comes to socializing and interacting with others and ask yourself how you are coping with it. If your answer is that you’re doing okay, but then you start to worry again about what might happen in the future then you are experiencing a level of anxiety. This anxiety in your brain is keeping you from recognizing that you are able to make some changes and shifts in your life and that you are very capable of figuring it out along the way. Anxiety wants you to worry about all of the things that could happen in the future, but they’re not actually real. Sure, anything can happen in your future, but no one can predict what that is. So by you worrying about it just ultimately causes you stress and wastes your time.
The most important thing to take away from this time of transition back to a more “normal” life is to reflect on how you are coping today, the past week, and the past month. If your answer realistically is that you are anxious about the future and you have been having a hard time lately then you’ll want to continue reading on for some other things you can do to help.

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2. Take it slow

At the beginning of the pandemic, it was a huge shock and a true emergency that we all lived through. Many people lost their jobs and loved ones due to COVID-19. A lot of things were lost as the life we were accustomed to was taken away from us. Read our blog “What to Expect in Grief Counseling” if you’re struggling with grief.

We all thought that this shift to staying home would last only a few weeks, but here we are over a year later and most people are working or attending school from home still. If you need support during life transitions, read our blog: “The Best Way To Cope With Life Transitions.”

While it would make complete sense to feel joy and excitement about the vaccines and returning to our normal world, a lot of people are feeling anxious about a new sudden change to their lives. People found a new normal that works for them. Some people love the idea of spending more time at home or not having to commute long hours to work anymore. Others may love the fact that you can wear comfortable clothes all day and it doesn’t matter what you look like.

Just because there is a sudden increase in vaccinations going out, it does not mean that you have to jump back into everything you did before the pandemic. An example is that if before the pandemic you spent every weekend booked with plans to do activities, go on trips, see friends/family, etc. then that does not mean you have to go back to that lifestyle right away. You may never want to go back to being so busy on your time off again. You may have come to realize that you cherish your alone time or the time spent at home focusing on what you enjoy. If you are struggling to find a work/life balance, read our blogs: “How To Reclaim Your Work-Life Balance During COVID-19” and “How To Reclaim Your Work-Life Balance During COVID-19 [Part 2]”.

Give yourself the space to take things slow as you start to make plans. You should not go from staying home every weekend this month to then having every weekend booked next month. First, schedule something and attend it. Then reflect on how you felt and focus on what you’d enjoy doing next. Take this transition slow and check in with yourself on what makes you the most happy.

3. Do what you’re most comfortable with

This is probably the best advice I can give here if you’re feeling anxious about things opening up and becoming more safe to socialize again. Do what you’re most comfortable with and anything that makes you feel uncomfortable then do not do it. It does not mean that you won’t feel comfortable ever again with it, but for now go easy on yourself and really try to cater to your comfort levels. It has been a really tough year filled with worry of you and your loved ones getting sick. You want to take this time to ease back into what feels good for you.

If you are in school that has been all virtual this past year and your school is in talks of going back in-person soon then this may feel very uncomfortable to you. See what your options are. For the rest of this school year, there may be an optional choice to continue virtual schooling or to attend in-person. Or you may want to join in a hybrid way in which you attend some classes or days in-person and the rest you do from home online. If you recognize that you are more comfortable with virtual school and classes then you may want to look into this as an option moving forward as well. This is more possible if you’re in college or a graduate program since they typically always offer some online classes.

If you have a job and you have been working remote this past year, but you are hearing whispers of people wanting to return to the office soon then that may make you uncomfortable. First, try to get more information to know exactly what the plan is for returning back to the office and if it has to be full-time. You may be able to discuss with your boss that you have found that you are just as productive while working from home. You can say that you work-life balance has been better due to no long commutes and you’re in a better head space to do your job. If you think you’re more comfortable working from home then try to have this conversation early to make your preferences known. If you are required in the future to be back at your office full-time then try to see if they will let you ease into this transition in which you start by going back one day a week and then work your way up over time.

When it comes to friends and making plans to spend time with people, only hangout with people who lift you up and you enjoy spending time with. This past year may have opened your eyes to who is most important to you in your life and who you enjoy spending your time with. Focus on seeing those people and everyone else can wait.

Just because things are opening and events are taking place again, it does not mean that you are required to go out and do everything. You should feel good about also staying home and continuing your hobbies or alone time that you found enjoyable over this past year. Do not put pressure on yourself to do more than what you’re comfortable with.

If you are going out, ease yourself into crowds. If you have been alone most of this past year then the first place to go to is probably not an indoor club with thousands of people dancing on each other. This will likely peak the anxiety you are already experiencing. You really want to ease yourself into crowds until you’re fully comfortable being around a lot of people again.

4. Remind yourself, you are capable of adapting to change

As you are reflecting on the past year and what lies ahead of you, give yourself a pat on the back for making it this far. You have truly adapted to a lot of change this past year and you survived it. You may still be having a hard time, but you are still here taking the next step forward every day. If you are feeling worried or anxious that you cannot adapt to change again then remind yourself that you are very capable of adapting to change since you have already done it! Check out our blog: “Reflecting On Mental Health During The COVID-19 Pandemic.”

5. Seek help if needed ( especially if you are experiencing any symptoms of agoraphobia or social anxiety)

If you are noticing that you are very anxious and worried about what the future holds as the world re-opens then it’s probably a perfect time to reach out to a licensed professional counselor to help you with this difficult time of transition. A licensed therapist can help see what symptoms of anxiety you are experiencing and then assist you in how to treat it so that you can make this transition more easily. If you are interested in anxiety counseling, check out our blog: “How You Can Treat Your Anxiety Using CBT.”

Some signs of anxiety that you want to look out for are:

Constant worried thoughts
Rapid heartbeat
Rapid breathing
Sense of doom
Feeling sick
Chest pain
Difficulty swallowing
Stomach issues
Feeling shaky
Sweaty palms
Racing thoughts
Feeling restless or on edge
Feeling exhausted
Having a hard time concentrating
Muscle tension
Feeling irritable

Read our blog: “9 Normal Human Responses To A Global Pandemic.”

If you are experiencing some or most of these symptoms then it is a good idea to reach out to a licensed counselor who specializes in anxiety for help.