How to face the world again when you feel anxious about getting close to people

Shops are reopening, and hospitality is just around the corner. But what if you are feeling anxious about facing people and the world again? Clinical Psychologist Mark Smyth has some advice

Group of people talking and thinking, friends with speech bubbles, vector flat illustration

As we enter a new phase in the Covid-19 crisis, and there is light at the end of the tunnel, many of us are preparing to return to our lives as they were before. But for a significant number of people, the events of 2020 and 2021 have had a serious impact on their mental health and the thoughts of a re-entry into a world full of close contacts with no masks is too much to imagine.

There are varying degrees of apprehension amongst people and it’s not restricted to those with a history of anxiety or mental illness. The 2020 president of the Psychological Society of Ireland, Mark Smyth, believes it all comes down to hope.