It’s the day you’ve been waiting for.
You’ve finally gotten your COVID-19 vaccine and can’t wait to get back out into the world, eating at restaurants and socializing with long-lost friends. But for some reason, that pent-up anxiety in the back of your mind is nagging your enthusiasm to get back to normal life.
There’s good news: You’re not the only one dealing with it.
"Even though it’s what we want, what we’ve been hoping and longing for, to get back to school, back to work, back to seeing our loves ones, connecting, it automatically is going to invite a mixed set of emotions," said Dr. Lucy McBride, practicing internist in Washington, D.C., health-care educator, mental health advocate and Bloomberg New Voices fellow.
How do we navigate the stress of our so-called "new normal?"
"We have been under siege for 14 months. We’ve been anxious. We’ve been stressed," she told KCBS Radio’s "Ask An Expert" on Friday.
The first step, Dr. McBride explained, is to acknowledge it’s going to be stressful as we reassimilate into the world. She said it’s good to name the anxiety in order to normalize it, then navigate the issue thoughtfully.
"It’s naturally confusing when we’ve been conditioned to mask, distance, stay home, not touch anything, wash our hands, to then enter into real life which we can do pretty darn safely after you’ve had your full vaccination series," Dr. McBride said.
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If you already didn’t like cocktail parties pre-pandemic, target a quiet walk in the park as your first venture into the "real world," versus a crowded event.
"You’re basically taking small steps," she added.
Small steps, indeed.
"My best advice to people is talk to your doctor," Dr. McBride said. "Talk to your doctor about these physical manifestations about stress that you might be having. Talk to your doctor about navigating the new normal and find out if you’re at higher risk, even if you’ve been vaccinated."
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