Has lockdown increased your social anxiety?

Made by Third Culture Family Therapy

5 steps to getting back out there with confidence

*Laura is a 21-year-old university graduate who should be on the Summer holiday of a lifetime with friends, celebrating the end of her degree before beginning her working life. Instead, she has spent the past months completing assignments and exams online. She’s been socially isolated and has missed major social events. A graduation ceremony and twenty first birthday celebrations would have celebrated an end to this phase of her life, and the beginning of the next one. As a natural homebody who sometimes finds social gatherings intimidating, Laura says that after months of lockdown, instead of being excited to resume her social life, she’s now dreading social occasions and feeling anxious. She’s not alone in this.
N.I.C.E. https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/cg159/documents/social-anxiety-disorder-final-scope2 estimates that 12% of the people in the UK population suffer from social anxiety at some point in their lifetime.

We all feel anxious at times. An important presentation at work, or exams at school may cause anxiety which then disappears and resolves itself once the challenge has passed. One could even argue that this sort of anxiety can be useful in motivating us to prepare and perform better. Generalised anxiety, health and social anxiety, panic disorder and phobias are the most common types. https://www.beyondblue.org.au/ When, as in Laura’s case, feelings of social anxiety begin to interfere with everyday life, it’s important to address, and take steps to resolve them.
As a student living through the lockdown, Laura’s increased social anxiety is likely caused by her experiences during this time being so different from what she had planned and expected, and the loss of control over aspects of her life.

A Swiss study by Elmer, T. et al, (2020, May 6) https://doi.org/10.31234/osf.io/ua6tq comparing the social networks and mental health of students before and during lockdown indicated that some university students suffered increased feelings of social anxiety during lockdown, which may have, in turn led to a decrease in mental health. In this case, it seems the lack of social integration led to feelings of social isolation. Feeling isolated under the lockdown makes social interaction difficult, and this presents as social anxiety.

Parents may experience the same feelings of social anxiety in a different context. Some avoid social gatherings in an attempt to protect their families. If continued after lockdown, it could give rise to anxiety over when and how to reintegrate with people. It’s also possibly social anxiety related to being uncomfortable in social situations they haven’t had to deal with for months. People in general are trying to manage their expectations and deal with all the unknowns. This stress increases the anxiety they already feel in social situations, leading them to worry more about how to behave in social contexts.

If you’re feeling more socially anxious than usual, either caused by the lockdown, or because you enjoyed the time to yourself, and feel reluctant to face people again, it’s a positive step to acknowledge those feelings, and to express them. People are more aware of and open about social anxiety than before.

 

5 steps to overcoming social anxiety after lockdown:

1.Create a safe space.

Start with close family and friends. These will be people you’re completely comfortable with, with whom open conversations are easy.

2.Talk about it.

Talk to your safe group of friends or family. Let them know how you feel. Ask them how they feel. How will they approach socialising again? Get some ideas from them as well.

3. Journaling.

Make a diary. We think we remember how we felt the last time we went out, but we don’t. By journaling we can always go back and remember that last time was a good experience. Use that positive memory, in similar situations in the future.

4) Breathe.

When you’re feeling uneasy entering a social situation, pause. Take a deep breath so you can feel it all the way in your stomach, hold it for a second and exhale. Repeat 3 times. Give yourself that moment. Continue in what you were going to do when you feel ready.

5) Acceptance.

We’re all living through a period of uncertainty. We can’t control the situation, so we’ll focus on that which we can control; our behaviour. We accept that Covid-19 is here, but we’re still living our lives, and we have control over our attitudes and our approach to it.

If you feel that social anxiety is having too much control over your social life, it’s okay to reach out for professional help. Acknowledging your anxiety and working to overcome it are steps you can use when engaging socially over the coming weeks. Take time to adjust and be patient with yourself.

*Name and personal details have been altered to protect privacy.

Co-written by Nicola Jane Gregory and Jo Green