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Coping with adjusting to leaving social isolation

It is understandable that many people will experience some apprehension, or even anxiety associated with emerging from social isolation. Adjusting to change can cause discomfort, even when we want the change to occur. It may also be that in this case you don’t want the change to occur, being at home may have allowed you to avoid things that were previously challenging. For example if you weren’t enjoying being at you workplace, or you found socialising overwhelming at times.

It can be important to remember that other people will also experience apprehension about this readjustment.

Here are some tips you may find helpful:

Allow yourself time to readjust, where you do have control, take small steps, don’t put pressure on yourself to immediately be as productive, or as social, as you previously were. Give yourself permission to take time to adjust.

The messages we say to ourselves have an impact upon us. So telling yourself you won’t be able to cope may result in feelings of overwhelm, or reduced confidence. Perhaps a more accurate message to tell yourself is to acknowledge, ‘I’m not sure I will cope, but I will take small steps and wait and see’. Or, ‘I will ask for help if I find I’m not coping well’

Remember all the good practices you may have applied in social isolation to reduce distress and continue to do these. Exercise really impacts our mental wellbeing, so continue or implement an exercise routine. Relaxation techniques like mindfulness meditation are also helpful.

Talk to others about how you are feeling. It can be so affirming to know others are facing similar challenges. We can’t always see how others are feeling, and tend to assume everyone else is finding this easy accept for me. Sometimes we can also hear what works for them, and learn a new strategy.

Of course seek any help you need. It can be useful to speak with a psychologist or counsellor and find new strategies to manage stress and strengthen our capacity to adjust to change.

Finally, deliberately bring to mind things you feel grateful for. This is very effective if you happen to feel grateful for something that you can now enjoy because you are emerging from social isolation. Either way bringing to mind true feelings of gratitude is very protective for our wellbeing.