September 7, 2021
5 Sources of Social Transition Anxiety
As we shift from physical isolation to larger groups and more face-to-face social interactions, many of us are finding ourselves with higher levels of anxiety. Getting to the root cause of the anxiety is the first step to limiting its control over our lives. But with so much change, how do we know where our anxiety is coming from?
The TaskHuman coaches have been having lots of conversations with clients about anxiety, and they’re here to share the 5 most common causes of pandemic transition anxiety.
1. The Unknown
While being socially distant and physically removed from social interactions for over the past year was difficult for many people, at some point, most of us got used to it. Sure, we didn’t necessarily like it, but we did manage to create a routine and support system that kept us going.
Now, many of us are changing what we are doing, but there’s still so much we don’t know. And that unknown is causing anxiety.
Listen as Coach Laura Gardner explains:
2. Our Resistance
Change is rarely easy. It requires us to think different thoughts and shift our perspective. That means confronting our biases and resistance to change. This is where the anxiety builds. Because it is easier to continue doing the same thing, as humans, we tend to push back against doing something different.
But just because we have resistance to change doesn’t mean we shouldn’t do it. We can make small changes that push us just a little bit outside of our comfort zone and help us get where we want to go.
Coach Lisa Wilder-Cappoli explains:
3. Our Experiences
The pandemic has helped many of us reevaluate our priorities. We now understand what is valuable to us and what is not. But that understanding has come at a cost. Our difficult experiences during the pandemic caused our growth, but they are also causing our anxiety.
We are happy about the growth we’ve had, but we also don’t want to move toward painful experiences. As humans, it’s totally normal for us to hold both feelings at the same time. But worrying about future experiences or possibilities (good and bad) will only increase our anxiety levels.
Coach Casey Kucsera explains:
4. Wondering “What’s Next?”
For some people, their anxiety doesn’t stem from getting back into society, but actually what happens after that, especially with new variants of the Coronavirus and how that will change our plans. We understand how to be in a group and what we are comfortable with within the group.
But what will happen within society as a whole? The uncertainty of the next several months is enough to cause anxiety for many. Even wondering if the pandemic is over in our part of the world, or when we might need to backtrack can be worrying.
Listen to Coach Mudra Shah explain:
5. Our Skills
It has been a while since we were socializing in person. And so, many of our social and conversational skills have gotten rusty. Being more used to your own company and being anxious to be around other people is completely normal.
Just like anything that you haven’t done in a while, your skills may not be where they used to be. It might take you a few attempts to feel natural making small talk or meeting new people—just know that you’re not alone.
The good news is that, because social skills are skills, you can improve them.
Coach Sasha Williams explains:
If you’re feeling anxious about going out into society again, that’s okay. The TaskHuman coaches are ready to help you through any roadblocks or mental barriers you may have. Their expertise is personalized, so you know you’ll be getting exactly what you need to reduce your anxiety and comfortably transition back into public life.
