Anxious about Lockdown Ending
This post was written by and shared from Thrive Programme Coach ® Niall McAlinden – Thrive with Niall
Are you feeling anxious about lockdown ending? If you suffer from emetophobia, social anxiety and other anxieties, you might have noticed your symptoms actually decrease during lockdown. It seems paradoxical, but it makes sense: life was more predictable, there were no social pressures, you could be in control of your environment and the food you ate.
Are you feeling the post-lockdown blues?
The last few months have been hugely challenging for many people, in so many different aspects. Thankfully for myself I’ve continued to work via Zoom, which has proven to be a big success, so much so, I will continue to use it.
Without a doubt one of the biggest aspects affected and challenged by COVID-19, is the psychological aspect, with many people struggling to cope with the restrictions and the unpredictability of it.
In saying that, there are others who’s symptoms actually decreased during lockdown despite the fact they’ve been struggling for months / years with symptoms like anxiety and stress.
These people enjoyed the restrictions and social distancing rules brought into place, and their symptoms are beginning to rise again post-lockdown.
The biggest driving force behind; anxiety, worry, fear, panic attacks, stress is having a lack of coping skills in situations outside of your comfort zone. This can cause people to then increase their desire / want for control in order to avoid situations where their coping skills will be tested.
So, it’s common for people to develop a comfort-blanket, if you like, that they like to be in – a safe place where their need for control is being met and their coping skills are not being challenged (therefore less stress, anxiety, worry etc).
When COVID-19 hit we were forced to go into lockdown and for many who fall into this category it suited their wants and needs. They could stay under this comfort blanket and avoid their ‘triggers’ (as they call it), like social situations, work, shopping, nights out, travelling, daily interaction, sport etc.
Therefore their symptoms may have substantially decreased during this time. This creates an illusion of control and people may temporarily feel MORE in control.
The main problem here is, of course, life won’t stay like this forever, therefore when restrictions do ease off, and people are forced to leave this comfort blanket, they are exposed to situations where they lack the coping skills to manage well. Consequently they may see an increase in their anxiety, worry, fears and panic.
This is why developing the skillset to cope with external pressures and stresses that life has in store is vital for anyone looking to take control of their mental well-being and overcome symptoms such as anxiety, fears, stress, panic and worry.
Building these internal skills will create a sense of power and control over your life. Therefore symptoms such as anxiety, stress, worry and fear decrease.
Of course not everyone fits into this category but there are many that do. We can not control everything in life, though we can control one thing, the most important, and that’s our reaction to these experiences and our thoughts over them. Which is why learning to thrive with be the best skillset you ever learn.
Have a nice day
If you can relate to this post and do feel anxious about lockdown ending, then please get in touch if you would like further support.