People don’t suddenly change their behaviours as new Covid restrictions are lifted, according to mental health experts who advocate for tolerance and patience for people who continue to wear face masks even when they are no longer mandatory in certain settings.
"I'd argue that most people are adjusting slowly to life without restrictions while coming to terms with different levels of anxiety," says Paul Gilligan, chief executive of St Patrick's Mental Health Services.
He added that it was unhelpful to put a timeframe on how long some people need to readapt to life without Covid restrictions. “There was a psychological journey around what we couldn’t do and now there is a psychological journey around what we can do,” says Gilligan.
He believes that we all need to be open to accepting and understanding other people’s views and the challenges they are facing. “Those who had a negative Covid experience in terms of personal loss and loneliness will find it harder to return [to normal] and their psychological journey will be more complex,” says Gilligan.
Dr Paul D’Alton, head of the psychology department at St Vincent’s University Hospital suggests that, following the really difficult and unusual conditions we’ve all experienced during the Covid-19 pandemic, about half of us will suffer from some level of re-entry anxiety. “What’s needed is lots of slowing down, tolerance, tenderness and patience. We need to allow people to do things at their own pace and just because you are ready to [return to normal] doesn’t mean everyone else is,” says D’Alton.
Psychological distress
Research into earlier pandemics found that between 30 and 50 per cent of the population is affected by diverse psychological distress afterwards. “Studies on post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) suggest that it takes one-third of the duration of the trauma to recover from it so it will take many people between six and eight months to find their feet again,” says D’Alton. Fear of infection from Covid will remain real for many people during this post-traumatic stress reaction phase even as public health experts advise that the harm associated with the disease has greatly lessened.
Psychotherapist Joanne Fortune says those who feel particularly anxious about re-engaging with society should "gradually ease themselves back in". "Leave your home every day, even if it's just for a walk. If you weren't the designated shopper in your family, go back out to do the shopping or go to a cafe."
She advises people to begin by attending social events that they feel comfortable with. “That way, you can gradually build it up and suggest alternatives if you’re still concerned about being in crowded places. And we need to be respectful if some people aren’t ready to hug or shake hands yet.”
Emotional health
And for those returning to their workplaces soon, Fortune advises practising their commutes. “Make the commute on a day that you don’t have to. Take time to walk around a bit to get used to the rhythm, the sounds, smells and rush.”
Gilligan agrees that having a proactive strategy for our emotional health is crucial going forwards. “If you’re planning to go back to work on Thursday, you need to do things on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday to enhance your emotional health like relaxation/mindfulness, physical exercise or calling a friend rather than worrying about how you’ll cope on Thursday,” he says.
D’Alton adds that we don’t need to have high expectations for ourselves as we re-emerge from the pandemic. “It’s more than okay to emerge out of these 24 months exactly the way you went into it. Some will experience survivor guilt and feel bad if they haven’t sorted themselves out in some way. But it’s okay to have just survived and got through it with a few people around us.”
Fortune suggests that Covid has given us all an opportunity to re-evaluate what is important. “Relish the opportunity to let go of anything that didn’t serve you well,” she says.
