8个处理社会焦虑后检疫后的提示

Daily life during the coronavirus pandemic has been challenging in so many ways, but especially when it comes to the lack of social interactions with family, friends, colleagues and even passersby. But with theCOVID vaccine适用于所有成年人和面具授权在全国范围内举起，隧道尽头有光线 - 这可以是令人兴奋和神经的刺激。

“经历了从大流行过渡的一些不适程度正常，”笔记Sahar esfahani，Psyd, clinical psychologist and director of the Maryland CBT Center, a private practice specializing in anxiety disorders and trauma in Bethesda, Maryland. "The opportunity to avoid in-person social interactions may have provided a false sense of comfort for those with social anxiety. However, the longer one avoids [these interactions], the harder it can be to reengage socially."

Although it might take time to feel comfortable with these in-person interactions, time will be a major player in aiding the process. In the interim, here are some expert-approved tips for how to cope with social anxiety as we slowly get back to a version of pre-pandemic normal.

Before you say yes to a friend's birthday party or summer barbecue, take time to think about what specific situations activate your fears or feelings of worry or distress, saysMayra Mendez，Phd，Lmft, a licensed psychotherapist at Providence Saint John's Child and Family Development Center in Santa Monica, California.

“了解自己的个人触发器赋予弹性，自我能力和自尊心，”她说。“面对恐惧赋予所有权，并允许经历焦虑的人控制焦虑。”

问问自己：你记得哪些情况感觉最不舒服？并尝试弄清楚你为什么感受到这种方式。Mendez说，识别这些触发器将帮助您更好地为如何应对如何应对如何应对。

埃斯法纳尼说，返回“正常”生活的过程可能需要几个月的时间，如果不是多年。她建议首先接受大流行后的生活是不可避免的，所以你可以承诺游戏计划来帮助你做好准备。

“一种有效和基于证据的方法来减少社会情况的恐惧被称为逐步的暴露治疗，这意味着随着时间的推移逐渐面对一个人的恐惧，”她说。

To start, she suggests making a list of situations, people or things that trigger your social anxiety and then ranking them in order of least to most anxiety-provoking.

"Start with the lower items on your list and commit to doing them week by week," she says. "For example, when it comes toreturning to work, you might plan a visit to the office and stay for one to two hours to reorient yourself to the commute and the office space, and the next time you may spend several more hours there and so on and so forth."

埃斯法纳人说，很可能在暴露于社交场合时，你可能会担心，不适，尴尬或恐惧，但这些负面情绪不是你做错的迹象。

“在接近一年后，被要求避免社交互动 - 强化焦虑和恐惧的东西 - 仍然很自然，因为大流行后的生命感到不舒服。然而，为了让这个，我们需要相信科学，并恢偿我们的身体和大脑，以阻止避免社交场合，“她说。“如果你允许不适而不是远离它，你的焦虑会消散加班。”

她建议从事富有同情心的自我谈话。“告诉自己，”这是不舒服的，我可以忍受它，'或'只是因为这感觉很可怕并不意味着糟糕的事情会发生，“可以有效，”她说。“另一种策略是take之前准备社交或with new people again."

Mindfulness meditationhas a slew of benefits, including stress relief, lower blood pressure, improved sleep and reduced anxiety, per the国家互补和综合健康中心。事实上，2013年5月的一项研究Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience发现只有四天冥想的人的焦虑水平较低。

"Mindfulness helps us take charge of our thoughts, especially unwanted negative thoughts that paralyze functioning, and reinforces here and now focuses," explains Mendez. "A mindfulness practice allows for living in the present rather than regretting the past, anticipating failure in the present or worrying about the future."

To practice mindfulness, she recommends simply finding a quiet, calm place to sit still for a few moments each day, without distraction, to focus your thoughts on a central topic, be it peace, relaxation or happiness.

Anxiety can be so isolating, and social anxiety even more so, but you should never have to go through the angst of it alone.

Stephanie Korpal，Med，在圣路易斯，密苏里州和芝加哥的大理石健康的主人和主人，鼓励她的患者与朋友，家庭成员，邻居，同事或任何人联系，以便分享您的经历 - 特别是那些人也向你们倾诉，他们过于患有某种形式的焦虑。

"Having someone else who shares some of the same outlook on socializing and who can give you some strategies or helpful tips is crucial," she says.

通过在生活中重新成员来说，面对你的社交焦虑可以累人，所以对自己善待自己，照顾你的心理，身体和情感健康。

Esfahani建议自己通过采取小型可管理的步骤来允许自己节奏自己。

"练习自我护理by being alone in between these moments to recharge," she says. "Give yourself permission to take an afternoon off and be by yourself and engage in an activity that feels good, is healthy and is enjoyable." (A hike in the woods, perhaps?)

你不必独自通过社交焦虑工作。事实上，寻求通过你的感情的咨询支持可以令人难以置信的利益，并且可能会给你带来终身工具，你可以利用应对你的病情。

“有一个在你身边的治疗师，想要看到你茁壮成长可以是一种克服社会焦虑的批判性重要的方式，但特别是在大流行后的生活中，”korpal说。“心理健康专业人员不仅可以为您提供一系列工作的工具，但它们也可以让您在使用这些工具中负责。”

If you are really struggling,艾米莉瓜卡罗塔，Psyd, clinical psychologist who specializes in perinatal mood and anxiety disorders and founder of迈出的妈妈, recommends joining a support group.

“与其他人在安全和支持的环境中与其他人联系可以帮助您进入社交互动，并为您提供与其他人斗争的机会与类似的经验相连，并允许您练习您的社交技能，”她说。

For help finding a support group, Guarnotta recommends contacting a local mental health organization or asking your doctor or health care provider for a referral.