My Post-Lockdown Anxiety

It is hard to believe that it’s been over a year that we’ve been in some form of lockdown but it feels like we are finally at a point in the COVID-19 pandemic where things are slowly starting to turn a corner. Yes, there are unfortunately variants hitting certain areas, but on the whole restrictions are starting to loosen because more people have been vaccinated and hopefully the number of cases will start trending downwards. I should clarify that through lockdown I’ve been privileged enough to have stayed employed through the pandemic and be able to work from home, so I have had minimal time outside the home for the last year. Like many of you, I am excited to get back to some post-pandemic activities. I miss sitting in a restaurant, traveling, and seeing my family. But there are still parts of lockdown I don’t really want to leave behind completely. Like many people, I’m feeling a bit anxious about leaving lockdown. 

I’ve seen a lot of articles about people concerned with having social anxiety post-lockdown. I’m worried about a lot of things, but not about that, and I’ll tell you why: we’re all going to have a bit of social awkwardness post-lockdown. When you haven’t been in a social situation in over a year it’s going to be a bit uncomfortable. After a few interactions, you will adapt and it will start to feel natural to you again. I think we all need to allow each other a bit of grace when it comes to social interactions. We’ve all just lived through a tremendous experience and have had minimal social encounters for over a year. If someone is judging you and won’t allow you that grace, then they don’t deserve to be graced with your presence. 

Now that that’s out of that way, here are 3 things I am anxious about (maybe some of you are too):

1. Knowing that I could still get sick.

While there is some peace of mind that I will have once I am fully vaccinated, knowing that if I do become infected with COVID-19 it likely it won’t be as severe of an infection, I will still be worried about getting sick. Especially since there are still variants that are hospitalizing people. This is the hardest part, not knowing when or where you might be exposed because you can’t see COVID-19. It’s also a challenge knowing you can control your own behavior but you can’t control the behavior of those around you. While we might have pods of those closest to us we trust to follow public health advice, it’s hard to know what safety measures coworkers or casual acquaintances are taking that you might see post-lockdown. 

If you are feeling this way: Follow CDC guidelines. We’re never going to be able to have 100% protection from COVID-19 but listening to public health experts will offer you the peace of mind of knowing you’re taking all the sensible precautions. Also, don’t feel like you have to go somewhere or engage in an activity just because lockdown orders have been lifted. You can go back out into the world at your own pace (at least in your personal life).

2. Not having as much time. 

I don’t want to go back to the pace of life I had pre-pandemic. One of the things that has been so nice about working from home is being able to have the time to think and reflect on my life, on what areas of my life I’m happy with and what areas I want to change. I only have that time because I’m not moving through life at the pace I used to. I don’t want to say I want a slow-paced life because I’m not asking for that much, but it at least feels manageable right now. I feel like I have more time, but by that I mean enough time. Enough time to accomplish the things I want to accomplish and live a balanced life. I have enough time to get all my work finished, take care of my mind, take care of my body, and still have time for activities outside of work. My busiest time at work is during the summer, and I used to have a knot in my chest from April through September each year where I felt like no matter what I did I could not calm down for 5 months because of my work. I’ve not felt this relaxed over the course of a calendar year in a long time. Yes, I realize I’ve stayed employed throughout this pandemic when many have not and I am truly grateful for that; however, I still believe that pre-pandemic many people were overworked (some still are) and we could all benefit from stepping back to see the value of slowing down a bit from the hectic pace we were keeping before.

If you are feeling this way: If work is the cause of this anxiety try to develop professional boundaries (like saying no) and asking for help so you feel less overwhelmed, or maybe look for another job or company that can offer better work-life balance. Maybe take this time that you have now to look at how you manage your time and see if there are areas where you can make changes to focus on high-priority activities. 

3. Going back to the office.

I’m full-on dreading going back into the office. My anxiety is only around being asked (let’s be honest, forced) to go back. I love working from home. I realize each person is different, and that we all have different needs but I am an introvert and I thrive working at home. I feel so much more productive. When I’m in my office, people stopping by my desk or calling me can really throw off my focus. I like being able to isolate myself and turn all my attention to the task at hand so I can make progress on a project without interruptions. I do not have kids, so I am not trying to manage working from home while helping a child in school (bless you parents, I truly don’t know how you do it, you all seem like superheroes to me). I thankfully just have to manage myself right now. I feel like sitting under fluorescent lights all day in my office makes me lethargic, so being at home with natural light makes such a difference. Finally, I truly feel that being able to work outside on my laptop in the sunshine has made such a positive impact on my mental health. Why would I want to go back to sitting in an office all day?

If you are feeling this way: Try to ask your employer if you can continue to work from home or work from home on certain days each week. You can make the case that giving up your office space will save money. 

I do look forward to getting my vaccine and going back into the world, but I will have these things in the back of my mind as we start to move out of lockdown. If you haven’t already, take the time to think about what you want your life to look like moving forward. What did you like about your life pre-pandemic? Are there things you didn’t like that you dread going back to? Have you experienced any benefits of being in lockdown? Ask yourself these questions and see if there’s any changes you’d like to see in your own life, and start to make adjustments towards these goals.

Hope you all are staying well! Until next week,

Livvy