How To Deal With Anxiety On Post-lockdown Holidays
With the arrival of good weather and the summer months, an important motivation for preparing and enjoying vacations usually appears.
Searching for a destination, organizing plans and preparing luggage has never been so uncertain as this year On the one hand, it is likely that confinement has left a greater need to enjoy the freedom lost in these months, but on the other it is reasonable that on an emotional level we are not at 100% and that we feel certain fears or worries never experienced before.
In the same way that during the quarantine we continually heard the numbers of new infections or the time that could be left to reach the desired flattening of the curve, now a new word is part of our days and can greatly affect the anxiety of people. vacation: the “regrowth”.
This is why we would like to explain a series of tips that will make this break a few days of real rest, keeping worries under control
Tips for vacations in the new post-confinement normal
Follow these guidelines to enhance your emotional balance in terms of managing anxiety on post-confinement holidays.
1. Don’t fall into continuous comparison with other holidays
Just as it made no sense to compare this year’s Easter with last year’s, with the summer holidays it is essential to continue along the same lines. Just this way We will be able to adjust expectations to reality and avoid feelings of frustration if the situation is not how we had imagined it.
If we are not able to avoid this confrontation between vacations, then it will be necessary for all factors to come into play and therefore The comparison should also include all the limitations and deprivation of freedom that we have experienced during these months Thus, we will be aware that perhaps we are not facing the dreamed rest but we will appreciate that it is more than what we could imagine in recent times.
2. Encourage agreement among all who travel
To avoid tense situations on vacation, it will be essential to agree on a series of points that promote effective organization. This, which should be expected regardless of the moment we are living in, It is especially important when traveling with children where post-confinement life generates more significant changes that need to be anticipated
Although the children have assumed with some naturalness the fact that previous freedom has been progressively recovered and even the use of a mask or new hygiene habits, it is necessary to explain to them that they must continue to comply with the safety measures. prevention and warn them of those restrictions that will mean changes in their usual way of enjoying their vacations.
As adults, having more developed emotional management, it is often difficult for us to accept it; therefore The little ones need clear orders and some flexibility with situations that are new to them
3. Accept your new concerns
Have you ever had a problem riding a plane and now you feel afraid simply anticipating the situation? Are you scared that there will be crowds on the beach when at another time you would not have thought about it? Do you feel that the need to control others’ compliance with precautions overwhelms you? If the answer is yes, you should not worry. It is part of the emotional side effects that the coronavirus has left
Not forcing yourself to be well is the main step to being able to enjoy yourself, it is necessary to be patient with yourself and understand that these concerns appear after a time of great tension.
If at a health level everything continues to evolve positively, stress will disappear and the body will no longer be in an alarm situation to respond to the threat. The best ally will be time, but if you feel that the interference in your usual life is significant, do not forget to seek the help of a psychology professional.
4. Don’t force yourself if you think it’s not the time
It’s July, it’s hot and your environment has its vacations organized, but if you feel that you are not prepared to travel or that you are not going to be able to disconnect enough, leave social pressure aside and listen to yourself Each person has their deadlines and their level of worry and, logically, there is no effective and proven model to recover emotionally and prepare for a summer after confinement.
Traveling with the pressure that it is a moment of enjoyment when you are not able to disconnect from what you have experienced will generate the opposite effect, and may produce a greater feeling of disappointment in you. Start by normalizing going out in your usual environment and remember that your destination will still be there when you feel better
5. Choose the plan that makes you feel more secure
The vacation offer has also suffered modifications after confinement, placing international tourism as a secondary option and prioritizing alternatives such as caravan trips or stays in rural houses within the country. The criterion that should have the most weight in this decision is the security you feel in each of the possibilities
You need to remember that if your emotional situation begins to pose limitations in your daily life or is at a lower level than you would like, The help of professional psychologists will be essential so that you can recover your previous level of well-being
In this sense, distance or vacation time is not a problem, since online therapy allows you to communicate with a professional remotely. TherapyChat is the leading online psychology platform and the experience of its psychologists can be of great help to you.
