At the time of writing this, the official United Kingdom death toll for Covid-19 is 43,514 and there has been around 310,000 confirmed cases. This is a huge loss to our population and a deep tragedy, and when the figures are laid out so bluntly it is unsurprising that many people are experiencing anxiety related to the easing of socialising restrictions. Experts are calling this ‘post-lockdown anxiety’ and it is very real and lots of people are feeling it.
“So, as we move into the next relaxation of restrictions on 4th July, it is important to be sensitive to this, and to the fact that some people are more ready than others.”
At the end of May, ITV News reported that Anxiety UK had recorded a 430% rise in calls to their helpline compared to last year; a huge number of calls were in relation to worries about the easing of lockdown restrictions. Since the easing has progressed, my own personal social media has been flooded with people who seem to have been able to put the pandemic behind them and have made the transition back to their ‘real lives’ quite unproblematically – some even appear to have completely forgotten that there are any restrictions still in place . . . ? But this will certainly not be the story for everybody, and a large number of people are still shielding, some through choice and others for various reasons including age or medical necessity. So, as we move into the next relaxation of restrictions on 4th July, it is important to be sensitive to this, and to the fact that some people are more ready than others.
“Lockdown has shown us that we can be resourceful in maintaining our relationships – hence the impressive profits of teleconferencing providers in the first quarter of 2020!”
Although it can be frustrating when a friend you absolutely adore is shying away from a catch up, try to understand why they might be doing that. Getting annoyed with them is unlikely to change how they feel, and it runs the risk of alienating them. Why not try to have an honest conversation? Maybe ask them what their reservations are and see if they can be accommodated. But whilst doing this, do not try to tell them why their concerns are (in your opinion) unnecessary; be encouraging and let your friends know that you respect how they feel as valid and that you want to be supportive. Lockdown has shown us that we can be resourceful in maintaining our relationships – hence the impressive profits of teleconferencing providers in the first quarter of 2020!
Imposed restrictions have reminded us that human beings are essentially social creatures: many of us have found lockdown lonely. So if a friend or loved one is not ready for a socially distanced meet-up be sure to carry on checking in on them by other means such as an old-fashioned phone call, and letting them know that somebody still cares how they are and how their day is going. The impact of this pandemic on mental health makes this more important than ever!
If you or somebody you know might be affected by post-lockdown anxiety, the mental health charity Mind has published advice on how to manage feelings about lockdown easing which can be accessed at: https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/coronavirus/managing-feelings-about-lockdown-easing/ and their website has lots of information and support related to the Coronavirus and other mental health topics.
Harriet Pandeli
Featured image courtesy of Ryunosuke Kikuno on Unsplash. Image license found here. No changes were made to this image.
