Many communities are still being allowed to return to normal life after all the isolation of COVID-19. I have encountered a number of individuals who are struggling with unpredictable and anxious emotions. The stress and fear of returning to what has been a dangerous world has resulted in a great deal of anxiety.
Particularly for teenagers this fear can manifest itself in behaviors that are difficult to understand and could appear rebellious. Gia Miller has written for the Child Mind Institute that provides strategies to help individuals to stay strong.
Here is a quote from the article:
As the country reopens and summer begins, each family faces new and difficult decisions about how to stay safe. Is day camp too risky? Can we visit the grandparents? Should our teenagers be trusted to socialize safely? Plus, there are still huge uncertainties about the future. What will school look like in the fall? Will jobs come back?
With no clear road map and so many difficult and confusing choices to make, even parents who’ve been able to manage anxiety in the past may be struggling now.
“There’s a myth that because everybody is having a hard time, your stress doesn’t count,” says Rachel Busman, PsyD, head of the Anxiety Disorders Center at the Child Mind Institute. “But that’s not true.”
Figuring out how to manage anxiety and tolerate uncertainty are important skills for everyone, but for parents, they’re even more essential. Among other things, anxiety typically causes us to lose our cool more frequently. And with our kids close by 24/7, they’re watching, and often copying, our every move.
The article then makes some very practical and helpful suggestions to help individuals mitigate the impact of isolation and manage their anxiety. Here is the link to the article:
I appreciate the points that Gia Miller makes, filled with common sense and helpful, as we all attempt to reenter and redefine our new normal. I hope this article will help you in the process of recovering and adapting to our radically changed lives.
Gerry Vassar
President/CEO
