Coping with COVID-19 Anxiety As The World Opens Up

It is so hard to believe that it has been well over a year since we began living in the midst of a world consumed by a pandemic. In so many ways, it feels like just yesterday that things shut down, yet the calendar and life around us continue to show us that even through stay-at-home orders, mask mandates, and virtual schooling, life has continued. 

And now that more and more of us are getting vaccinated, guidelines from the CDC are allowing more socialization, and restrictions are starting to ease across the country. This loosening of restrictions allows us to return to activities that look similar to a pre-pandemic world. Families are starting to gather again after being apart for over a year. Restaurants are beginning to allow indoor dining. Vacations that were postponed last year are being scheduled for the upcoming summer months.

New World, New Anxiety Symptoms

But as the world is slowly beginning to open up, you may find yourself feeling anxious about reentering the world in ways you never expected.

For over a year, we have been told that we need to stay apart, that in order to protect ourselves and our loved ones, we need to stay home, stay apart, and stay masked up. These protective steps have been vital in trying to slow the spread of COVID-19. But they’ve created a sense of chronic hypervigilance that can lead to anxiety. 

As you begin to reenter the world, here are two things to keep in mind about coping with the anxiety of COVID-19 in a post-pandemic world:

You get to decide what feels right for you in reentering the world after COVID-19. 

While your extended family may feel comfortable going out to eat in a restaurant, you might not feel ready to venture out with the kids to an indoor place. And that is okay! What one person is comfortable with is okay for them and doesn’t mean you have to be comfortable with all of those things yet. You get to decide if you want to continue to wear a mask indoors and have the right to ask others to wear a mask around your kids if that feels right for you and your family. Trust yourself to know that it is acceptable to say you aren’t ready to participate in certain things yet, and there is no need to be ashamed of that.

If you are feeling anxious about socializing and participating in activities you never questioned pre-COVID, that is normal. 

For over a year, we have been conditioned to recognize certain activities as less safe and have approached those with extra levels of care and vigilance. So, reengaging in these activities without a certain level of anxiety may take time. Living through a global pandemic is truly an unprecedented experience, and it is perfectly normal to feel anxious. Don’t be afraid to be honest with yourself and with your friends and family about the anxiety you are experiencing as you begin reengaging with the world.

If you find that the anxiety is making it hard for you to participate in life in ways that you truly desire, it may be beneficial to talk with a counselor. Working with an online therapist can help you to learn ways to cope with your worries and fears about re-entering the post-pandemic world. 

Begin Anxiety Treatment in Louisiana

You don’t have to feel anxious as the world opens. I would love to provide support while you rediscover the world. That is why I offer online therapy for the residents of Colorado, Hawaii, and Louisiana. To start online anxiety therapy, please follow these simple steps:

1. Schedule a free 15-minute consult via phone or video

2. Learn more about me, and how I can help with anxiety treatment

3. Begin feeling more secure as you explore the world again!

Online Therapy Services Provided By Ashley Comegys, LCSW

I provide a variety of online therapy services to women living in Louisiana, Hawaii, and Colorado. I specialize in providing online therapy for women with anxiety. But, I also offer a variety of other mental health services online including online individual counseling for women, online postpartum anxiety and online postpartum depression treatment, online postpartum support, online depression treatment, online grief counseling for women, online therapy for military spouses, and online trauma treatment for women

Please note, due to the laws that regulate my license as an LCSW, I am only able to provide online mental health services to residents of the states of Louisiana, Hawaii, and Colorado.