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While many of us continue to stay isolated from friends, family and colleagues, the idea of going back into the world and connecting with others again might make us feel anxious and afraid. We may feel like we've lost our social skills and thoughts can arise that make us experience the fear of judgment from others. So, what do you do if you're feeling anxious about being social again?
Here's what Dr. Khush Amaria, PhD, CPsych, Senior Clinical Director and Clinical Psychologist had to say:
I understand, you’re not alone. It’s normal to feel anxious given the novelty of what we’ve experienced over the past year.
Social anxiety usually involves having negative thoughts about the impression you think you make on others or worrying you will be embarrassed in a social situation. For some, quarantine allowed a form of ‘escape’ from social events, which in the short term might provide relief, but in the long term, makes getting back to being social again more difficult. For others, the quarantine may have instigated some new distorted views or worries that didn’t exist before – such as “I’ll look like a fool” or “people won’t want to spend time with me.” Getting back to real life will involve challenging those types of beliefs and slowly taking steps to face those situations one experience at a time, instead of continuing to escape.
As things open up, you can use this chance for some self-reflection about who you are as a result of the pandemic experience. Think about what you want to retain from your social experiences during the pandemic, how you want to grow and what you’d rather leave behind once the pandemic is over.
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