Now that the possibility of socializing with people is back on the table—or, at least, becoming more real every day<\/a>—many are anxious about returning to pre-COVID<\/a> gatherings. And despite the excitement that comes along with that, there's also a good chance you'll be a little freaked out by all that extra exposure.<\/p>\n As restrictions continue to be lifted, thanks to the use of safe and effective vaccines against COVID-19, you'll probably find yourself near people outside of your pod, either by necessity (if your employer requires it) or by choice (if you choose to attend a friend's birthday gathering).<\/p>\n In these situations, it might take some time to retrain your brain not to worry about socializing with other unmasked individuals, Chivonna Childs, PhD, a clinical psychologist at Cleveland Clinic's Center for Adult Behavioral Health, tells Health<\/em>. "We've become hyperaware of people around us," Childs says. "We feel like we've become the mask police: we don't know their condition, don't know if they're carriers. We're used to that now."<\/p>\n It took a lot of effort for your brain to adjust to the reality of the coronavirus pandemic, Dr. Ackrill adds, pointing out that you trained yourself to monitor those around you—and are now trying to convince your body that it doesn't need to worry about that anymore. "That's a lot of training for the brain—we've really made a habit of considering other human beings a danger," Dr. Ackrill says.<\/p>\n RELATED: COVID-19 Made It Impossible to Ignore Racial Disparities in Health Care. Here's What's Needed for Equity<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n It may seem like we've been dealing with COVID-19 forever, but it's still a very new virus—it's only been around for less than two years—and health experts are still trying to fully figure it out, even as the US continues the reopening process. <\/p>\n While the CDC has announced that it's fine for fully vaccinated individuals to go mask-free both outside and indoors, there's still many questions around how, or if, unvaccinated individuals will be differentiated—and how risky it is to simply take people at their word when they say they're vaccinated.<\/p>\n While experts are doing all they can to sort out how we can safely proceed, the uncertainty of the present moment might be adding to your anxiety about reentering society. "It's not even black-and-white yet what's safe—there's a lot of confusion," Dr. Ackrill says. This can have a real impact on your mental health, Shannon O'Neill, PsyD, an assistant professor of psychiatry, tells Health<\/em>: "Uncertainty and not knowing what to expect can fuel anticipatory anxiety.<\/p>\n RELATED: Burned Out by COVID Caregiving, Health Care Workers Say It's Time to Fix the System. Is Anyone Listening?<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n Think back to where we were at this time a year ago: there were no approved vaccines, and the death toll from COVID-19 in the US was climbing at a horrifying rate. It was extremely risky to enter public spaces that didn't require masks, and health experts were advising everyone to avoid making contact with anyone outside of their household. Now, most adults in the US have been offered a safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine<\/a>, deaths from severe COVID are way down, and many people are able to see those outside of their immediate family without worry. <\/p>\n It's good news, of course, but it can be difficult to reconcile the current reality with what we grew accustomed to. "There's so many levels to this," Dr. Ackrill says. "We've witnessed grief; some people have felt it firsthand. There's a little bit of trepidation." She explains that we might feel hesitant to embrace the new post-vaccine reality, for fear that the suffering during the past year will lose meaning: "Does that mean all of this didn't mean anything? We didn't have a sense of closure, [and] our brains want things to mean something."<\/p>\n Childs echoes this, saying that the residual emotions of the pandemic aren't any less serious than the anxiety associated with a diagnosable mental health condition: "The trauma from being in COVID—it's really scary, and I kind of liken it to Post Traumatic Stress Disorder."<\/p>\n Among the emotions one might feel while reflecting on the tragedies of the last year is survivor's guilt, Childs adds. "That can be survivor's guilt not only in terms of someone lost their life, [but] someone lot their job, someone lost their house and I didn't. How can I be okay when so many people lost so many things? We feel guilty for being okay."<\/p>\n![\"Why](\"https:\/\/imagesvc.meredithcorp.io\/v3\/mm\/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fstatic.onecms.io%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fsites%2F12%2F2021%2F06%2F03%2Fpost-pandemic-anxiety-AdobeStock_434078292.jpg\")
Why This Side of the Pandemic Might Feel Even More Stressful , Young female model taking off her mask to prevent contagious diseases<\/span> <\/strong><\/p>\nIt took your brain a while to process wearing a mask\u2014and it’ll take it a while to process not wearing one <\/h2>\n
We still don’t know what’s considered “safe” in the post-COVID world yet <\/h2>\n
You may want to dismiss the trauma and grief you’ve experienced over the last year\u2014don’t do that <\/h2>\n