After two years of smiling with our eyes, greeting each other with our elbows and social distancing, when the masks are finally taken off – in Spain, which will happen in most indoor settings on April 20 – we may feel Unsafe, even in danger. The fear of contagion has long been present in society.If we accept that a habit can be formed after three weeks of daily practice, as some authors claim, then what we’ve been through since the March 2020 coronavirus pandemic will complicate returning to normal without a mask .Some people may feel that they may be putting their health at risk if they are speaking in close quarters and not wearing a face covering, or that they may feel more uncomfortable if they receive two kisses, a hug or even a handshake.
In the words of psychologist Monia Presta, “During a pandemic, people have become accustomed to living in a state of perpetual misery.” This type of negative stress keeps our alarm systems activating .Even though the rules and real risks have now changed, this alert will remain active after we’ve been through it for a long time.
”When a person feels they are in danger, their paleocortex initiates a fight-or-flight strategy,” explained the Italian psychologist. “The duration of this health crisis has raised alarms in our hearts. Because humans are adaptive in nature, many people have problems returning to the old normal. Just as we found it difficult to adapt to all these constraints, it will take some time to readjust.”
Two years of activating our alert mechanism will require a transition period before we can be comfortable with the old normal again.We’ve grown accustomed to wearing masks, lack of contact and social distancing.Going from zero to one hundred is impossible for many people without a certain amount of apprehension.The secret is to re-adapt yourself little by little, as we do in exposure therapy, which gradually exposes a person to the things that frighten them.
Keeping this alert system on for no reason is as stressful as forcing yourself to revert to pre-Covid behaviors without mentally returning to normal.Each personality type needs to follow a different rhythm.People with phobias can have a harder time removing their masks, especially in enclosed spaces, and may instinctively step back when people try to kiss or hug them.In the end, gestures and external habits are expressions of our hearts.Those who paid more attention to shocking news stories were more fearful and took longer to detox.
Therapists and psychiatrists observed an increasing number of post-traumatic stress symptoms during treatment.Two years of the pandemic, with or without losses in our circles, have caused insomnia, generalized anxiety and hypochondriasis.Fear of dealing with the situation can drive people to avoid behavior and even self-limit.This problem mainly affects people with phobias and the elderly, as they are the risk groups who have the most difficulty moving forward.
To move from fear to love, one must stop thinking about threats and start thinking about benefits.Let’s recognize the beauty of a smile, we can finally see it on someone’s lips.Or the comfort we get from a great hug.Depending on each person’s interests and social dispositions, we’d be happy to see specific fun back on our list: enjoying a concert with a crowd, shouting “Goal!” in a crowded stadium, and back with friends Had lunch and dinner together.
Aside from pandemics and wars, past, present and future threats, we cannot live by our fears that will prevent us from enjoying the gifts of life.As the novelist Robert Louis Stevenson said, “There is no duty we underestimate more than that of pleasure.”
Post time: Apr-09-2022