Returning to normal life after a long period of pandemic and COVID-19 restriction is not as simple as it may seem. Starting again and adjusting to previous routines can cause unique anxiety and stress.
Just getting up early, doing your hair and rummaging through your wardrobe – apart from your jogging suit – feels foreign. We are used to sitting at the dinner table with a laptop in comfortable clothes.
Similarly, we have learned to keep our distance, wear masks and disinfect so thoroughly that it has become second nature. Even if we are not necessarily comfortable in this situation, we have adapted to it in our daily lives.
It is somewhat paradoxical. We have been looking forward to a relaxation of restrictions and a return to our normal lives, but I have already spoken to a number of people who feel overwhelmed and surprised by their own uncertainty and indecision.
In this article we will try to understand this form of stress and anxiety triggered by the current situation. Finally, we will give some advice on how to deal with this new scenario.
Although we are all focused on reopening, this does not mean that the COVID-19 crisis is over. The risk of infection is still there, but in many places it is low, and vaccination programmes are underway, bringing a glimmer of hope.
The next wave of the COVID-19 crisis: psychological reactions
The pandemic has left its mark on us
Over the past year, the pandemic and subsequent lockdowns have affected us all. Along the way, we have dealt with the risk of infection, restrictions and various precautions. In addition to the pounds and reduced fitness levels caused by the pandemic, many have also experienced various psychological reactions.
Some have faced significant uncertainty, fear and perhaps grief due to the close proximity of illness and death to home (Hvad er angst). Others have been stressed by the consequences of being locked in and the challenges of balancing work and homeschooling in a cramped space, being in close quarters with loved ones in good times and bad.
If the atmosphere was tense before, it may not have improved. Then there are those who have enjoyed their own company, enjoyed the slower pace and lack of social obligations – perhaps even shedding their earlier stress.
Now we are in the midst of a reopening
The pandemic has left its mark, so now, as society opens up further, we all have our own starting point for returning to a more normal world. And not everyone is just happy and relieved, they may be experiencing a range of concerns.
In the latter case, one explanation is our evolutionary past: as Homo sapiens, we have survived for millennia by adapting and being resilient.
Just as humans can adapt to life in a prison cell, they can also adapt to life in an infectious, locked society. It has in fact become our ‘new normal’. We must therefore make an effort to adapt back to what used to be normal, because it is different from the everyday life we have been so long entrenched in.
This is precisely what emerges from a recent American survey in which almost 50% of Americans are concerned about returning to a re-opened society and continuing to interact with each other.
One of the points of the survey was confirmed the other day by an elderly relative of mine: he really does not go travelling when there are so many infections! He was vaccinated against COVID-19 some time ago.
Indeed, research shows that vaccinated people are just as likely as unvaccinated people to express anxiety about returning to ‘normal’ society and social interaction. The reactions are therefore similar to collective social anxiety.
The study also shows that with re-opening, we are constantly struggling with risk assessments. For example, is it safe to go to a café or a museum? This creates a series of dilemmas and a constantly stressful situation in which we have to assess the risk of different events.
Are you familiar with COVID Shame?
We are affected differently.
Some of those who find re-opening difficult have also struggled along the way. This may be because they have had COVID-19 close by in the form of a serious illness or death of a close relationship, or because they have already struggled.
This may be due to a mental health disorder or stressful conditions resulting from the significant personal or financial consequences of being locked out.
The second group are those who are still (quite naturally) experiencing the fear of contagion and those for whom social situations are simply not always easy – who may sometimes be a little reserved and insecure. Therefore, they may feel that their stress levels do not improve during the re-opening process.
Some may even have experienced an increased sense of well-being during the unlocking process. They may feel a sense of shame that they are not necessarily looking forward to things getting back to normal.
And then there is the vast majority whose wellbeing has neither improved nor deteriorated as a result of the lockdown. For them, the impending reopening may prompt reflection on what has been missed and what has not.
Constant fear of infection
When bars and restaurants reopen, some people immediately rush to book tables. Perhaps it’s the same colleague who welcomes you back to work with more than just an elbow. I’ve already heard several people talk about how they meet other people and instinctively take a step back and almost forget to breathe.
A few days after the reopening of the museums, I visited the Trapholt, where I was looking forward to an excellent exhibition. Was there a long queue? No, surprisingly there were actually more staff than visitors. Many people are hesitant and reluctant to jump into a more open society: dare we? Is it ok?
How should we move in the school canteen? How much should we sing in church? What should we do in the open office? Many are confused and unsure, and there is fertile ground for countless conflicts among those making decisions.
We all judge differently, and what is natural for one is not natural for another, and because of the risks and potential dangers involved, reactions and conflicts can easily escalate.
The COVID-19 crisis affects us differently depending on our personality type
Take a leap – slowly but surely
We have to get used to being back in society. It can be challenging to return to the “new normal” – especially if we think we have to be able to do everything at once.
One person who felt this reservation and anxiety said to me the other day, “It’s actually quite overwhelming to have to take off your pajamas after six months and put on your real clothes again and be in class with lots of other people.”
Hesitation and uncertainty about how to deal with a new situation is perfectly normal. We can easily feel wrong, different and perhaps so ashamed that we even find it difficult to say it out loud. We are at a stage where we can experience a slightly different kind of anxiety, stress and social phobia.
So here are some tips: be compassionate towards others, respect their boundaries and don’t push them. It’s OK to feel overwhelmed. Don’t let feelings of injustice and shame take over. Take it easy, take one step at a time and don’t push yourself – but make sure that in the long run, the avoidance anxiety doesn’t take over.
