How to Navigate a Complicated Post-Pandemic World

Prioritize Your Mental Health

We know based on data from previous pandemics thatthe mental health reverberations身体疾病后觉得长迪民吗ished.

“Even before the pandemic, depression, anxiety, and attention-related disorders were already at epidemic levels—not to mention chronic stress and burnout,” saysDr. Cortland Dahl, a Buddhist scholar and research scientist for the Center for Healthy Minds. “The toll the pandemic has taken on our mental health is likely to carry forward, long after we reach a level of herd immunity and we are physically safe.”

There’s a silver lining, though. First, this experience is collective; you’re not alone in your thoughts and feelings. Additionally, Dr. Dahl says that more than ever people are aware of the mental health crisis, and thatresources are widely accessible.

Even if you don’t explicitly feel beat down or burnt out, taking advantage of these resources and prioritizing your mental health can only bring good things.

Exploremeditation apps,take up a yoga practice, explore in-person oronline therapy, and talk with others who are very likely experiencing similar thoughts and feelings to your own.

Accept That We'll All Move at Different Paces

In the months, and perhaps even years, to come, you will undoubtedly interact with others who have a different comfort level than you do. Some may feel more cautious about jumping back into normal, everyday life while others seem to zoom ahead.

“It will be harder for some than others to simply flip a switch from“锁定模式’ to normalcy within a period of weeks after being fully vaccinated,” notesDr. Sanam Hafeez, a neuropsychologist and faculty member at Columbia University. “For those who fall into the latter group, [it’s important] to take baby steps to reintegrate themselves into their former social and work lives.”

To that end, Dr. Dahl stresses that this transition—whatever it might look like—will require a great deal of patience, sensitivity, and understanding.

“None of us has been through this before, so none of us will really know what our first party or our first time in a crowded public space will be like until we’re right in the middle of things,” he says.

In addition, he suggests taking note of when you’re把自己和别人比较and to recognize that the best path forward is the one that works for you—not your neighbor. Consider this phase an opportunity tobuild empathy, self-awareness, and to strengthen your connection to your core values.

Ease Into Situations That Create Anxiety

Jumping right into the deep end once you are vaccinated might work for some people, butif you feel anxietyabout stepping back into “normalcy” then take it slow.

This includes social events, travel, shopping, and dining out. Instead of making your first outing a packed bar or a trip to Vegas, start with an outdoor restaurant during non-peak hours.

“It’s a matter of gradually exposing yourself to a situation you think you fear (or you know you fear) to see that nothing ‘bad’ is going to happen," says Dr. Hafeez. "Once you gain confidence from the smaller situation, you can move on to a larger situation,”

“Be as honest and open as you can about how you are feeling emotionally and why you have to decline a certain situation at this time,” she says. “If you speak to the host, at least they feel you are making some effort to attend and you are explaining why the indoor situation makes you uncomfortable.”

And sure, you might get a response that’s not as compassionate as you’d like. Practicing understanding here is important, too. It helps to reassure the invitee that you miss them or that you’re really looking forward to seeing them when you’re feeling more at ease.

Be Careful of Stifling Yourself

While everyone moves at their own pace and the best approach toan anxiety-creating situationis to take it slow, there’s some counterbalance required, as well. Keeping scientific and medical recommendations in mind, it’s important to re-integrate yourself back into the world.

"There are some very solid, evidence-based strategies for managing anxiety, including the fear and panic we might feel when we find ourselves out in public in social spaces again. One very powerful method is called ‘de-centering,’ which is a key ingredient ofmindfulness," says Dr. Dahl.

He elaborates, “Paradoxically, the point is to accept [your anxieties] and explore them, rather than trying to get rid of them. For instance, we might notice the feelings in our body when our threat response gets triggered, or that there is a flood of fearful thoughts churning through our mind.”

“As we move back into our social relationships and interactions, it will be very important to know our limits and boundaries,” says Dr. Dahl. “If we push too far, too fast, it might set us back. On the other hand, some degree of discomfort is healthy and normal. The key will be to trust our self and know when to push forward and when to back off.”