Social Anxiety: A Major Unintended Consequence From The Coronavirus Pandemic

If you've been in public at any point in the last couple of months, you've probably been wearing a mask. Or, you've seen someone wear a mask. You might have been working from home, and only seen your coworkers in a Zoom meeting since March or April. You have probably only seen the same people in-person week after week. Your immediate household or family, neighbors, grocery store clerks, and other people walking or jogging at the same time as you. The result of the social isolation due to the COVID-19 pandemic is social anxiety.

Disconnection Feeds Social Anxiety

When people become so disconnected from one another for such a long period of time, we lose familiarity and comfort with social interactions. We forget social norms with one another and begin to feel uncomfortable or even nervous about getting together.

I remember the first time I gathered with a few friends after 8-10 weeks of isolation. It felt very strange to be around other people again. We spent the majority of the time talking about what we had been doing cooped up for so long. We shared about how we all felt about masks, social distancing, risk factors, and other variables we thought we might need to address together. Finally, after all these conversations, we were able to relax and enjoy our time together more casually.

Re-Socializing, in a New Way

On top of that is the added anxiety of not knowing how others will respond to the many aspects of life that have been impacted by the virus. Do you wear a mask or not? Will they want you to or not? Are they comfortable meeting together at a restaurant or only outside? Should we hug or maintain our social distance?

One set of behaviors may be more socially acceptable in one place or with one group of people but not acceptable in another place or with a different group of people. The result is the fear of social rejection, which creates more social anxiety.

Mask Issues: I Can't See Your Face

Another issue that's arisen from this pandemic and specifically from the mask-wearing phenomenon is the inability to read people's faces and expressions. When others are wearing a mask, it's nearly impossible to tell what their expressions are. This creates social anxiety because many of us are walking around not knowing how others are perceiving us, what they're thinking, or how to interact with them.

Furthermore, I've noticed that eye contact and conversation among strangers has drastically decreased with mask-wearing. People seem afraid to make eye contact with one another, preferring to keep the eyes and heads down instead. This has resulted in groups of people existing at a single location, such as a grocery store, but still disconnected from one another.

Social Changes Are Here To Stay

As concern over the pandemic continues over the next several months and into the school year, people are going to become even more socially isolated making the anxiety increase or intensify. Jobs that remain remote and schools that restrict the amount of social exposure will exacerbate the issue.

These unintended consequences of lockdowns, cancellations, and restrictions are already creating anxiety and fear in many people. At Discover Counseling, we are seeing many clients with increased anxiety symptoms. And, deteriorating functioning in their daily life as a result of the impacts this far.

Stay Focused

It may sound redundant to say this, but maintaining a meaningful social life where you can spend time with people important to you in-person is vital to a healthy life. Sharing feelings and experiences with others gives us a sense of companionship which affects the body, mind, and emotions. Seeing faces and expressions soothes our souls in a way nothing else can do. Spending time together is literally good for our health.

As your life changes or maintains these low levels of normalcy, work to stay focused on creating a consistent schedule of interaction with others. It may feel like a lot of work or like you're "forcing the issue" by having a schedule, but it's worth it. Just like an exercise schedule, it can keep you on track and you'll be glad you did it.

Here are some examples of ways you can keep an active social life to reduce your social anxiety over the coming months:

• Gather in small groups outside without masks while social distancing.
• Meet one-on-one with friends individually if that's what you prefer.
• Pick a few friends your kids enjoy spending time with and talk with those parents to see if you could allow your kids to play together safely so they can also maintain a social life. (This is also good for parents because it forces you to interact with other parents, which I've seen has been beneficial for me with my kids' friends' parents.)
• Try to make eye contact while wearing a mask in public.
• Smile with your eyes so people know you're smiling. Alternatively, tell people you're smiling at them or practice telling people how nice it is to talk with them so they feel appreciated and you share a connection together.
• Organize an in-person meeting with your co-workers once a month instead of meeting virtually to maintain a better connection (no pun intended :-D ).

You Are Not Alone

One important thing to keep in mind is that we are all going through the same thing together. If you're willing to be open about it, you'll find there are many other people who feel the same ways you do and are struggling along with you. These are challenging times. Binding together to face the challenges together can give you the strength, encouragement, and perspective you need to get through it. If you want help getting through, book an appointment to start counseling for anxiety in Tigard, OR.

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Start Social Anxiety Counseling in Tigard, OR Today

Our team of skilled therapists specializes in treatment for anxiety and depression. We understand how difficult it can be to keep going and stay positive despite the circumstances. Contact us today to talk about how we can help you start feeling more productive and confident, or to schedule an appointment with one of our counselors. We offer both face-to-face (in-person) counseling sessions and online video counseling to residents in the state of Oregon.

More Therapy Services at Discover Counseling in Tigard, OR

Not only can we help with your anxiety and depression, but we can also help navigate these difficult life transitions. Especially, the grief and loss we are all feeling right now! This is an especially difficult time for engaged couples and couples on the brink of separation or divorce. Also, for pregnant, postpartum, and parenting couples. Basically, everyone is facing some type of stressor right now. Please let our therapists help you navigate this difficult time.