New life without masks: 7 tips to readjust

The new normal without the use of mandatory masks has generated great well-being in the majority of the population, since the risk of COVID-19 for life is getting lower and lower and we can carry out without fear most of the activities that we used to do before. cape.

However, for some people who had gotten used to its daily use, readjusting to a day-to-day without wearing masks frequently can be a challenge, especially when it comes to managing the fear of contagion. And in the most extreme cases, this post-pandemic situation has given rise to a series of alterations at the psychological level that feed anxiety.

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How to adapt to a life without masks?

In order to get used to the new life without masks and to minimize the discomfort and fear that some people may experience when taking them off in public places and closed, we can follow some general advice, simple and useful, that promote mental health in the face of fear of suffering health problems or even endangering our beings darlings.

It is a series of tips that will help us live better this new period in the coronavirus pandemic. coronavirus and that we can also share with friends, family or acquaintances who may present this same issue.

1. Learn to remove the mask progressively, starting with open spaces

To normalize the fact of removing the mask in most closed public places we can implement a progressive habituation process widely used in the field of psychology, in which little by little we learn to live without wearing it all day and we adjust to the sensations of living without a mask. In other words, we are learning to face what scares us, starting with the easiest, and progressively moving on to more complex situations.

To achieve this, we can, for example, start by removing our mask in spaces where there is little density. of people and circulates a lot of air, to then progress in more common situations, such as indoors, shops, etc.

This progression in the elimination of the mask in more and more areas of our day to day life will help us manage feelings that causes us its withdrawal and to overcome the different types of discomfort that we are experiencing during the process in a guided and methodical, without falling over and over again to the temptation of “playing it safe” and putting on the mask and throwing in the towel out of sheer frustration.

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2. Propose frequent socialization situations

Setting a minimum number of socializing situations per week is a good way to keep our social life intact and not giving in to the fear of always staying at home because of the risk of contagion.

Human beings need to socialize with other people to maintain our emotional balance and general well-being, that is why it is recommended to have several interactions with other people between week.

These interactions may be with close friends or family members, and it is recommended that they address the issue of the pandemic as little as possible and the new normality in relation to life without masks, so as not to think too much about it and get over it.

3. Keep an emotion diary

Keeping a diary of emotions is one of the most used techniques in psychological therapy to learn to manage our own emotions and feelings and understand ourselves better.

It is also a very useful technique that we can put into practice in our personal lives and in the privacy of the home, daily writing down feelings that we associate with irrational fear and also those activities or routines that generate greater stress or fear of infecting us.

Some of the routines that can generate stress or fear of contagion can be to avoid other people walking down the street, avoiding sitting in a bar or restaurant, not shaking hands or constantly separating from our interlocutor.

By writing down each of the experiences and emotions that cause us fear or stress due to the pandemic, we will learn to understand where our anguish comes from and we can start the recovery starting by overcoming our fears.

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4. Limit exposure to anxiogenic information

During the coronavirus crisis we have been exposed to a huge amount of information through all kinds of media that has contributed to altering the well-being of many people in our country.

That is why it is highly recommended to limit the time we spend daily reading about diseases and inform us about the pandemic, infections or the situation of the coronavirus at the national level or in the world.

Avoid this media overexposure It will help us to be calmer and to achieve the emotional well-being necessary to live better in our day-to-day lives.

5. Perform relaxation exercises

Frequently perform relaxation exercises of all kinds to calm our fears related to contagion or our stress is also a great way to have a better quality of life during this post-mask period mandatory.

There are many techniques that we can put into practice to relax daily, some of the most frequent may be: Mindfulness, Yoga, meditation, pilates or simple diaphragmatic breathing practiced on a daily basis.

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6. keep the week busy

As has been indicated, the risk to life presented by the COVID-19 disease is decreasing thanks to the different vaccines administered in most Western countries; that is why to forget the concerns related to this pandemic we must keep ourselves busy during the week both physically and mentally.

Some of the activities that we can do weekly or daily can be physical exercise, social activities with friends or family, mountain sports, walks, watch our favorite series or movies or carry out any hobby or hobby of all Type.

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7. go to psychotherapy

In the event that none of the above advice is useful to us and we continue to have emotional or psychological problems with the new stage without mandatory masks, going to a psychology professional is always the best option to overcome all kinds of alterations and problems of various kinds.

A psychologist will help us overcome both the fear of catching coronavirus and any other fear, discomfort or anguish that the current pandemic may cause us and will offer us all kinds of tools, resources and techniques to live better in our daily lives. day. If you are looking for professional help in this area, please contact me.