Re-entering Society

Since the pandemic has begun, many of us immediately started avoiding social gatherings, and took big measures to stay inside and practice social distancing as much as possible. As vaccines roll out and the virus becomes under control, we are now maybe slowly able to return back into society. Some of us might be worried or anxious to go back. It may seem weird, or even uncomfortable, to remember your social skills to use in in-person interactions and we also may be worried about what our social network is like following our isolation from others. 

It's important to remember that everyone has gone through basically the same universal experience. As we try to return to what it was before the pandemic, many of us who have forgettten our social skills after isolation will have to relearn these skills and practice them to master them again. Since we are all going through a similar experience, if you are particularly having a hard time adjusting, then ask for support from others and share with them your feelings about it!

We also want to be premptive and cope with our anxieties and fears before we need to after the social interactions. Remember to practice self-care and other strategies we have gone over on a regular basis to maintain our emotional and physical balance. Continue to make time for rest and relaxation, even after returning to school or work, for example. Also, socializing can definitely be part of the balance we need in our life. You can evaluate your social life now to see what kinds of people you want to approach to socialize with. Think aboout the people in your past and who you miss, think about what kind of people you want to socialize with and who you have been meaning to approach, think about the people in your life now and how you can connect with them.

As with any other stressor, practice self-compassion and be kind to yourself. Validate the hesistant feelings you have while labeling those thoughts and feelings.

A reminder of why we are subjecting ourself to situations we might be afriad of, such as social interaction, can be helpful. When we remind ourselves of our values and the reasons why we need to do what we fear, it can be good to give meaning to our actions. For example, if the situation was one in which we are afriad to return to school and face social situations, we can remind ourselves that we are going to school to get an education, or if it's returning to work, to get a salary.