How to return to your previous life after quarantine

In the spring, the world faced a new phenomenon for many people – a global pandemic. Many governments have introduced tough restrictive measures to deal with coronavirus. In many ways, this affected the psychic and mental health of people: many began to notice that they were experiencing anxiety, various fears, and panic.

Such experiences are a normal reaction to the unknown and the inability to control the situation, says Tatyana Pechalova, a psychologist and psychotherapist in the method of positive and transcultural psychotherapy.

According to the expert, any isolation in one way or another affects the psyche not in the best way.

“Prolonged abstinence from important things for you: live communication, walks, sports, or vice versa, an overabundance of communication with relatives, children, lack of personal space – all this leaves its negative imprint on a person’s well-being,” says Tatyana Pechalova.

However, the human psyche successfully adapts to new conditions. Many of us have experienced this for ourselves: work and study from home turned out to be quite effective, there was time for new hobbies, family, work on ourselves.

“Many admit that they already feel so comfortable that the idea of ​​returning to their “usual” life causes anxiety.

Let’s imagine that the implementation  of restrictive measures was the first, rather painful, wave of adaptation. I had to “orientate in the field” very quickly, react to the changed conditions, and adapt to them. And now that we have more or less dealt with this, the next wave is coming – the lifting of restrictive measures. This means that you will have to adapt again, again face your different feelings. It scares, it makes you worry again,” says the psychologist.

It is a mistake to believe that after the quarantine is canceled, we will return to our former life. It will definitely be a new life, new conditions, just in an atmosphere familiar to us.

The psychologist gives some tips on how to get out of quarantine in order to adapt to reality as comfortably as possible:

1. Awareness of your feelings and needs

What do you want most? What was lacking in self-isolation? Communication? Privacy? Traveling by car or tram, long walks in the fresh air?

Switch your attention from “must” to “want”.

Ending of restrictive measures does not mean that you should immediately see all your relatives and friends, plan in detail what you will do in the next six months, walk for hours, etc. Listen to yourself: how are you feeling? Allow yourself to experience all these feelings.

2. Smooth exit and dosing

Quarantine became shocking for many, as they had to drastically change their usual life.

Leaving quarantine has the advantage of not having to change everything drastically again. On the contrary, we have the opportunity to gradually return to our usual activities with care and concern for ourselves.

If possible, combine remote work with face-to-face work, gradually moving to the format that will be more comfortable for you. Meet with friends and family, but only according to your feelings and desires. Gradually bring sports back into your life. Let me give you this metaphor: if you pounce on food out of hunger, you will not be able to feel its taste, enjoy it and, most likely, your stomach will hurt. The same applies to things that were inaccessible to us for a long time during self-isolation. It is important to have moderation.

3. Search for new resources

We all emerge from quarantine as winners, as each of us has gained experience in finding new resources. Everyone did it.

Think about what helped you cope? Use this experience in the current situation. Be open to new experiences: what can be a resource for you now? What could have taken away strength and energy before can now become what gives this energy. Become your own explorer.

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