Post Lockdown Anxiety: It’s Real and it’s Okay
With lockdown restrictions ending, you might be experiencing mixed emotions. After wanting to ‘go back to normal’ for so long, it may come as a surprise to notice lingering feelings of anxiety at the thought of returning to normality once again.
Whatever the reason for your post-lockdown anxiety, it is perfectly natural and you are not alone.
Perhaps you feel daunted by the idea of returning to a hectic job or maybe you are experiencing social anxiety. If you have experienced a big life change during the pandemic, such as giving birth to a baby or moving to a new area, then the idea of venturing back outside might feel particularly stressful and daunting.
Children too, especially highly sensitive ones, are also likely to feel anxious about returning to school, mixing with other children again and spending more time away from home.
Read on to find out how to ease post-lockdown anxiety and take gentle steps back into the land of normality.
1. Talk to Others
Reach out to others and share how you are feeling with trusted family and friends. Do you feel as though you are the only one feeling this way? Do you feel silly or embarrassed by your anxious feelings?
Sometimes all it takes is somebody to be the first to say “I am so happy that things are moving forward, but I can’t help but feel anxious about returning to normality again”, for others to feel comfortable in expressing their anxieties too.
Knowing that we are not alone offers us a sense of relief and this in itself can sometimes be enough to ease the anxiety altogether.
2. Practice Self-Awareness
Do you understand specifically what is causing you to feel anxious? Practicing self-awareness and offering yourself the necessary time and space to explore your feelings more deeply, will allow you to move forward much more easily and quickly. Sit in silence and ask yourself:
“What exactly am I feeling anxious about?”
Allow the answers to come to you and do not judge them. Even if the reason for your anxiety may seem ‘silly’ or ‘unreasonable’ to you, simply listen and give yourself permission to accept them, without ridicule.
What Others Have To Say…
“I feel like I’ve let myself go during lockdown. I have gained weight and I am so used to wearing loungewear in the comfort of my own home, without feeling like I have to ‘dress up’ for anyone or anything. I don’t feel confident anymore and feel anxious at the thought of letting the world see me again. I am especially anxious about real-life dating again!”
Anon
“I can’t imagine sitting on a train again with strangers. I am so used to working from home by myself, not seeing anybody but my partner. It feels strange to imagine being in larger crowds again, especially with those I don’t know. I have noticed that even walking to the shops on my own feels like a big deal nowadays”
Anon
“As a natural introvert, I have actually really enjoyed spending so much time at home. I find it easier to be myself when I am in my own environment and it has been nice to slow down and enjoy a slower pace of life. I am glad that things are getting better and we are moving out of the pandemic, but I must admit that I also feel some sadness around it. The thoughts of returning to normality makes me feel very overwhelmed.”
Anon
“I am not the same person that I was pre-pandemic. Lockdown has made me realise that things in my life need to change. I have come to understand that I need to prioritise my family more and perhaps even think of a career change; one that is not so stressful and time consuming. During lockdown I have felt excited to create a new life, but now that an end is in sight, I feel nervous. Will I have it in me to make the necessary changes? Right now, I feel overwhelmed and unsure of who I am and what I want moving forward.”
Anon
Whatever your reason for feeling anxious, taking small steps forward is key. Just because places are re-opening, it does not mean that you have to jump straight in.
Look at where you are right now and ask yourself how you can take small steps forward. If you have been enjoying regular walks during lockdown, the chances are that you have been walking locally and this too has become a comfort zone. Why not get in the car and drive somewhere new?
Changing your environment will allow you to gently ease yourself into normality again and get used to being away from home.
3. Use Affirmations
For a long time, we have been bombarded with messages that tell us the outside world is a dangerous place. It is no wonder then, that some of us are feeling anxious about the thought of leaving home and returning to normality again.
Practising affirmations daily is an easy, yet very powerful practice, which can increase feelings of safety and confidence and re-programme our minds to feel secure in the world again.
As well as practising positive affirmations, it will benefit you to disconnect from negative programming. Try to only engage in positive conversation, limit your time on social media and drastically reduce time spent watching or reading the news.
Choose at least three affirmations that feel good for you and practise them regularly throughout the day. Close your eyes and really connect to the energy of the words; affirming them with feeling and increasing positive energy.
Here are some examples:
“I am safe”
“I can do this”
“I can cope with this, one step at a time”
“It is safe to interact with others”
“The outside world is a safe and joyous place”
“I am ready to face the world again, one step at a time”
“I offer myself gentleness and understanding”
“I have all the courage I need to step outside of my comfort zone”
“I love and nurture myself through challenging times”
“I find strength in my vulnerability. I am brave and courageous”
“I am confident in my abilities; I have everything I need to succeed”
4. Practise Visualisation
Use the power of your mind to retrain your thoughts and project positive energy into your future. Close your eyes, breathe deeply and visualise yourself back out in the world again post-lockdown; looking and feeling confident, happy, safe and joyful.
See, or feel, yourself out in the world again; back at work, doing the school run, socialising with friends, talking with strangers, at the gym, shopping…however you want your post-lockdown life to be.
What can you see?
What do you hear?
How are you feeling?
Intensify all positive images and feelings and know that as you do this, you are quite literally programming your mind to create your desired reality. Practise this visualisation technique daily to transform anxiety into confidence and positivity.
5. Review Your Life
Living through a pandemic has forced us to stop. We have had no choice but to stay still, with more time to review ourselves, our relationships, jobs, friends, family and so on. We have not been able to distract ourselves with being ‘busy’ in quite the same way.
Lockdown has taught us how we deal with experiencing more stillness. Maybe it has been a welcomed relief to be able to slow down and enjoy time with family. Perhaps it has highlighted a lack of fulfilment in personal relationships.
For some of us, the difficult emotions we have been ‘pushing down’ for so long, have had no choice but to surface now that we are no longer distracted by other things.
What have you missed about your pre-pandemic life?
Is there anything you have you not missed?
What gifts has lockdown offered you?
What lessons have you learned?
Has slowing down been joyous for you? Or difficult? And why?
Have any of your priorities changed? If so, how?
How are your relationships? Have they changed?
What is most important to you now?
What sort of life do you wish to create moving forward?
What is truly important to you?
Now is a wonderful time to decide who you want to be and what sort of life you want to live.
What will you choose?
If you have found this blog useful, then please do share it with others. Let’s normalise post-lockdown anxiety and find strength in our vulnerability, so that we give others permission to do the same.
With love to you!
By Nicola Harrold
P.S. Our hypnotherapy / hypnosis recordings can help you with a number of issues. Download these powerful recordings now! These titles are also available as iPhone, iPad and Android apps.
Hello Nicola. Thank you for such a wonderful article. It resonates so much. Here in Melbourne, Australia we have had severe lockdown rules for a very long period but over time they have been slowly eased and things are “almost” back to normal. Although in most cases I no longer have to wear a mask – I still choose to wear one whenever in the shopping centres.
I have so related to that feeling you suggest of being scared to go out into the world again and do all the pleasurable things in life that we used to enjoy. Slowly I am getting there ….. coffee in the cafe …. occasional lunch out etc. And so wonderful to actually be able to visit lived ones again.
Glenn’s meditations have been a life saver and because of the severe circumstances we have been living in …. I have found that I have been using various meditations depending how I am feeling at the time. Many mixed feelings have occurred.
Once again …. thank you for your article. I always enjoy reading them every time Glenn posts a new one
Many thanks. 🙏❤️ Margaret Boyles
Thank you Nicola.
Questioning anxiety and then not judging the answers is great homework, and very applicable right now.
Hi nicola great read as usual inspirational covid lockdown has been a difficult time for some people especially people living alone that must have been very hard for me the lockdown made me annoyed and angry with the governments and health service approach here in Ireland as all through out the pandemic our airports were open people flying out on Holiday and no manditory isolation when they returned home and also our North border wide open allowing constant easy access into ireland with occasional police checkpoints yet we were in lockdown restrictions wearing masks isolating not even traveling around the country kids out of school ect ect it does not add up too corrupt and now in the last few weeks they have put restrictions on travel in place does not make sense I was lucky always keeping strong and focused enjoying listening to your glenns apps also before covid took over I had started another yoga TTC which kept me busy and healthy I am looking forward to teaching again people my own age ireland is beautiful and green again its great to be able to garden again can’t wait to walk on the beach again I love the sea and to travel again to visit my daughter Emma in Australia love and best wishes philomena