Small steps; easing out of lockdown.

Dr. Lydia Kearney, Cognitive Psychologist at the School of Psychology joined BBC Radio to talk about the post-lockdown anxiety that people are facing facing currently. Tanya Sengupta jotted down some of Kearney’s tips.

With the easing of lockdown restrictions – not everyone feels confident filling up their social calendar. Our lives have been different in the last year and it is easy to feel overwhelmed with the changes. Dr. Lydia Kearney, Cognitive Psychologist from the University of Kent joined BBC Radio to talk about the post-lockdown anxiety that people might face today.

 

One of the questions asked during the conversation was will some people have a heightened sense of the threat of the world. Dr. Kearney explained that social anxiety is such a difficult thing to overcome because all anxiety is based around a sense of danger. We have heard a lot about the real danger this last year. There is a real true sense of danger alongside the exaggerated danger, navigating that will be difficult.

 

Why shouldn’t people just stay at home?

  • We are social creatures. Being around other people is beneficial for our mental health

 

What about the fear of Covid19 in the workplace?

  • Anxiety for work depends on the work environment. Make yourself aware of what your workplace has done to be covid compliant. Speak to your colleagues to see if they have the same concerns. Other people will share your concerns.

 

What about just talking to people again?

  • Making small talk. When we feel socially anxious, because we are afraid of messing up, we tend to monitor ourselves. For example: what we do, how we look. If someone else is observing us, they overlook those small mistakes.

 

This is a fairly new situation where we are all having to readjust. Try to be kind to yourself as you would to other people if you feel anxious in a situation.

 

Listen to the full clip here: