5 Tips on How to Deal With Post Lockdown Anxiety

Thankfully, the lockdown has come to an end. People are mingling, public places are open, and everything is coming back to normal. This is a sigh of relief, especially for those who are either furloughed or fired from jobs.

However, for others, this change is becoming a cause of increasing anxiety. The fear of catching the germs, putting the loved ones at risk, and entering back to a former routine is still alive.

How Am I Dealing with the Post Lockdown Fear?

Since I am a patient of anxiety, accepting change is difficult for me. No matter which thing it is, I take a lot of time to adjust.

Apart from it, the fact that the virus is still not over keeps tinkling in my mind. The recent lockdown in China has further intensified my anxiety. But, many other countries are now on a route towards normalization.

Like me, many of you must be anxious about it. So, I have decided to share some tips for accepting it and continuing life with mental peace. So, keep reading!

1. Pace Yourself

Remember, nothing is prescriptive. Though malls are open, events have started, and friends have started meeting each other, you can set your rules.

Unless you get a notification from your employer to work on-site, you have full liberty to stay at home.

So, take it easy. Take time to adjust to this situation. Do not be in a rush. But always remember to avoid the extremes.

You cannot isolate yourself for life long, and you cannot join the public all of a sudden. Therefore, maintain a balance and start slowly.

Like you can start attending small meet-ups of 3-4 friends, then resume your physical classes followed by monthly shopping, amusement trips, etc.

Note: If you are suspicious about your working environment and notice non-compliance with the SOPs, you have all the right to refuse work.

2. Set Limits and Work on the Controllable Factors

Many of us are hesitating in meeting people because of the fear of passing the virus to family and friends.

Though we can follow all the precautionary measures, we have no guarantee that the virus will not reach us.

Here, we need to set some rules and understand the controllable factors. Since a lot of things are uncontrollable, thinking about them will only make us more depressed.

For instance, if our grandparents are sick and hospital procedures are necessary, they cannot avoid the hospital visit. This is an uncontrollable factor.

But, to overcome the impact of this uncontrollable factor, we need to work on the controllable factor. We can do this by setting rules. Some rules are listed below:

• Wear a mask, gloves, and sanitize your hands
• Maintain a good distance, at least 6 feets
• Try to take online sessions, if possible
• Avoid handshakes, hugs, and kisses
• Change clothes after reaching home

3. Build Up the Tolerance Level

Initially, you will find it hard to tolerate busy roads and huge crowds. But, gradually, you can build up your tolerance level. Prepare your mind for this thing; otherwise, you will never be prepared.

Firstly, start stepping out of the home. But, time consideration is essential. Do not make the mistake of going out during busy hours.

For instance, if the park near your house is full in the morning, try going for an afternoon walk. This will re-build your habit of walking in a park.

Similarly, your favorite coffee shop is now open. Instead of missing the coffee time, try visiting the shop only when a few customers dine in. It can be late at night or a morning time when most of the people will be at work.

If we take these small steps, we can slowly build our tolerance level. This will help us in adjusting at a time when going out will be completely safe.

4. Never Compromise on Communication

During the lockdown, we have been closely connected through technology. Whether we talk about a Zoom call, video conferencing, or a social media post, everything has kept us strongly connected.

I even had a weekly virtual meet-up with my colleagues. Now since things are coming back to normal and people are going back to offices, taking out time for virtual connectivity looks difficult.

But, never stop this thing suddenly. Lockdown lifting should never affect your relationships. Feel free to set a virtual hangout on weekends.

Furthermore, if your parents, children, or other family members live abroad and cannot consider it safe to visit you at the moment, continue your zoom meetings.

Remember, your anxiety will get doubled if you do not communicate with others. So, reach out to people whom you trust, share your feelings, and take their opinion about the post lockdown scenario.

5. Stay Positive

Even if you follow all the above tips but do not understand your feelings, everything is useless. Yes, it is important to understand how you feel.

Furthermore, realize that these feelings are normal. Getting panicked, stressed out, and uncomfortable with a sudden onset of public on lonely roads is not strange. These things are a result of the social shift, and the majority of people are affected by it.

To overcome this battle, we need to adopt positive thinking. Yes, take a positive approach to address this behavior.

You might be tempted to showcase anger on public forums and social media, but this will only intensify the problem.

Instead, adopt strategies that can alleviate the problem. Things like walking, diverting the mind through bouncing ball activity, yoga, and mediation are helpful.

Besides this, you can get help from various religious apps. One of them is Muslim and Quran. It provides a detailed explanation of the Quranic verses, notifications of Prayer Times, hadiths, and much more.

Now You Know How to Deal with Post-Covid Anxiety

All in all, the pandemic seems to get completely over. Most of the countries are coming back to normal, and many have started on-site working. Anxiety is common as many people feel uncomfortable in embracing the social shift again.

However, setting out some rules, focusing on the controllable factors, building tolerance level, and not compromising on communication are a few useful tips. With these tips, we can prepare our minds and body to accept normalization in no time.