The world is not yet completely safe, but vaccinated people whose states have been reopened to some degree may find themselves in a strange, nerve-racking environment.
People with an obsessive-compulsive disorder and cleansing rituals, trauma or anxiety disorders may find it difficult to climate again.
“What was known no longer seems so well known,” said Lynn Bufka, senior director of transformation and quality of practice at the American Psychological Association. ‘We’ve had messages for almost a year not to be with others, to be far away … then the idea that,’ Oh, there are ways we can be with others and that’s OK ‘- it is new information It is therefore understandable that it feels different, at least if it is not frightening or stressful. ‘
Anxiety can serve as a warning about situations we need to pay attention to and be careful of, Bufka added. These are the experiences and places that can cause concern when the world reopens, and the tips that experts have to deal with it.
Eye contact
If you have been socializing at home, it is likely that the only people you have been making eye contact with lately are your housemates, cashiers at stores and colleagues through a screen.
Jane Webber, an assistant professor of counseling training and coordinator of doctoral programs at Kean University in New Jersey, says in the future without masks. “Generally, just eye contact and a small smile, I call the ‘Mona Lisa smile’, fills people on the other end with a very nice feeling. They will reflect what you are doing.”
Eye contact is the easiest interaction to begin with because it reconnects us and shows that we care, Webber said, teaching about trauma, stress and coping skills.
Be among crowds
If you recently watched a movie that was filmed before the pandemic, chances are many scenes look a little weird. While we are still a long way from major gatherings, you may soon find yourself in an increasingly crowded area of grocery stores or mass transit.
As a psychologist, a “circle of protective space” is something Webber taught students. ‘We’ll put a rope or ribbon on the floor and (ask)’ How big do you need to feel safe in a crowd? “Most people will say, ‘I need some space in front of me or on my sides.’
Once you have decided how much space you need, use your elbows or legs or an object – such as a shopping bag or grocery cart – to create it. If you need people to respect your boundaries, kindly tell them, ‘I just need a little more space.’
If you feel panicky, Webber suggested concentrating on your breathing and saying to yourself, ‘I’m going to be out of this in a few minutes.’ Move slowly with the crowd and to the perimeter until you find space.
Handshakes and hugs
“We are social people,” Webber said. “You can reach out and then pull your hand back and we tell people it’s a natural feeling.”
If you feel anxious right now, it’s okay to wave or bump your elbows, Webber said. “Let people know you’re still a little nervous,” she added. “By doing so, we have made a connection and they will have empathy.”
The thought of a hug can be even more frightening. In this year of social distance, we have become ‘connected-hungry’, Webber said. But this is still not the time to embrace everyone you see. If you or someone outside your household you care about desires the warmth of loving touch, give a ‘butterfly’ hug through your arms to slap yourself, tap each shoulder and ‘send it down to the person’. When someone pulls out for a hug, you should express your concern and start a butterfly hug instead.
Flirt or be asked on a date
When you get coffee to go and someone asks you for an appointment, your brain can plunder your memory of how to respond to such an unknown request.
You can take it slow if you are not ready, Bufka said. Suggest that you start two by exchanging phone numbers and then progressing with virtual dates.
New intimate relationships
Progressing from flirting to the first date may feel like a lost art. The pandemic may also have added unusual questions to your to-do list: Was this person vaccinated? What does she think of the Covid-19 vaccine and masks? How did she react during the pandemic? Is she asymptomatic?
These questions are exactly what you need to ask to learn if your love interest shares your values and if you want the relationship to continue, Bufka said. The answers of your date indicate whether you both agree on the level of risk, what precautions you should take and what risks are OK.
Approach the conversation gently, humbly and without judgment, Bufka said. Share what behaviors you tried to prioritize during the pandemic and why, and that you are curious about what your appointment did. When you think about getting serious, ‘something like you can have a conversation,’ Bufka added.
If you are nervous about physical intimacy, you have to admit that it is OK. ‘Like’ Goe, it’s been a year since I kissed anyone. I forgot how to do it. “You can take it a little easier,” Bufka said. If you have not been vaccinated yet, be honest and say that you do not want to risk her health.
Share public spaces
You sit on a bench when someone else asks to sit near you. Should you allow it? If you do not, what does the other person think of you?
Before these situations you can practice saying something like, ‘Sorry, I’m still not vaccinated. I prefer to keep my distance, ‘said Bufka. If you have been vaccinated, you can ask yourself what you are worried about and whether it is still realistic, according to current health guidelines.
Share objects to help others
If someone were to ask you to start their car, you would probably want to help them. But should you, and who will do it if you do not?
Change the situation to make it easier, says Jacqueline Gollan, who holds two professorships at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago: one in psychiatry and behavioral sciences, and one in obstetrics and gynecology.
“Take small steps to control your anxiety, socialize and reduce real risk,” Gollan said in an email. You may have hand sanitizer and masks available for such situations. “If you can not reduce your anxiety, see if you can change your negative predictions by ‘taking your anxiety to court.’ Evaluate the data that indicates (or) you are likely to get sick while being vaccinated. ‘
Cosmetic and spa services
Imagine this: the pandemic is finally over, and you just want to relax with a massage. However, there is only one problem: Beauty and spa services may not feel as relaxing, even on the downside of a pandemic.
Asking the company what precautions they have taken – and going somewhere else if they do not meet your standards – is OK.
Go back to work
Those who still work from home could do our own thing in terms of how and where we work. We do not have to worry about people and the risk of Covid-19.
What’s most frightening when you return to the office is the loss of control over your health bubble and your routine, said Ravi S. Gajendran, chair of Florida International University’s chair of the global leadership and management department, and associate professor at the College. of Business said. You may no longer be used to ironing your clothes, being visible under your shoulders and communicating in person.
What you can do is accept that the transition will be narrow, disruptive and slow, Gajendran said. Concentrate on being prepared for what you can control, who wears hand sanitizer and a mask.
Know that office work is likely to differ from what it was before the pandemic, as some companies have implemented seating arrangements or programs to record Covid-19 symptoms. If your workplace does not have clear safety policies in place, tell your supervisor about your concerns, said Kristen Shockley, associate professor of psychology at the University of Georgia. An organization that sets standards ‘creates a shared, common understanding’, she added. “And the people who may feel more cautious do not feel strange about having to communicate it.”
In general: “cut you a breather,” Gajendran said. Those of us who have survived most of the pandemic may feel strange and anxious about adjusting to society, but we are in the same boat and can help each other (safely) through it.