In an interview with Minnesota’s Public Radio (MPR) The Current, Shmuel Lissek, PhD, associate professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Minnesota, discusses social anxiety due to the pandemic.
Lissek discusses how anxiety centered on being in close proximity to others stems from two sources: the physical threat of transmission and social anxiety stemming from both fears of being negatively evaluated for the vaccine and social distancing choices made, and concerns that fears of transmission during live interactions will compromise one’s ability to come across well to the other person. Not only may some people be experiencing COVID-related social anxiety but those that suffered the threat of death or injury from COVID may also experience symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
As the public faces this large transition, Lissek reminds us that it is important to treat others with kindness and patience, as well as extend these feelings to ourselves. Another thing to remember is that your social skills may not be as rusty as you think, we just adapted them to a virtual format. And finally, we should move forward by following rules that make sense to us and come from trustworthy sources.
Composed by Flora Pollack, communications assistant.