As the vaccination rate climbs in the United States and guidelines are relaxed, some are ready for a return to normalcy, while others are feeling trepidation about re-entering a post-pandemic society.
Debra Hope, an expert in anxiety disorders at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, says this is to be expected “We’re very much creatures of habit, and for more than a year, we’ve been in our routines of always wearing a mask, keeping our distance, avoiding crowded places , that became our new normal, and now we’re having to think about those things in a different way,” Hope says. “People have also developed new routines of work, and we’ll be changing those routines again, and that can be challenging.”
A recent survey done by the Harris Poll, in partnership with the American Psychological Association, found Americans are feeling anxious and hesitant about the future. Nearly half, 49%, said they feel uneasy about adjusting to in-person interactions post-pandemic, and those who’d received the COVID-19 vaccine were just as likely as those unvaccinated to say this.
The anxiousness over returning to a pre-pandemic normal is weighing on top of the stress and anxiety that have been felt by most Americans throughout the pandemic. “The research is still being done, but we know this pandemic had some really negative impacts on mental health,” Hope says. “Our routines were disrupted, our sleep patterns changed, we quit socializing and spent all of our time online.
“All of those things definitely increased the stress we felt, and the loss of connection with people is associated with depression and anxiety. We’ve seen increases in substance abuse and more difficulty maintaining sobriety. There’s been severe financial distress for some and grief over the loss of family members and friends.”
Worrying about returning to the office, going to a restaurant again or attending a large social gathering can manifest in physical ways, Hope said. Muscle tension, neck and back pain, elevated heart rates, difficulty sleeping, fatigue and trouble concentrating can all be symptoms of anxiety.
“Anxiety is based in the primary emotion of fear, but it tends to be future-oriented — thinking about ‘what if’ and feeling anxious about what is coming,” Hope said. “Anxiety is more about the anticipation that something bad is going to happen.”
The key to working through it is to take it one step at a time, Hope said.