As people prepare to return to the office or school, some worry that their conversational skills may have grown rusty. But research shows you can relax.
Dr. Samantha Boardman is a clinical assistant professor of psychiatry and assistant attending physician at Weill-Cornell Medical College in New York City. She blogs at PositivePrescription.com and is the author of “Everyday Vitality, Turning Stress Into Strength.”
If making conversation after more than a year of pandemic-related isolation feels awkward, you aren’t alone. “I just don’t know what to talk about,” explained one friend. Her 10-year-old son is also worried about how to interact with classmates when he returns to school in September. For many, the prospect of returning to school or the office or attending social events is daunting. Not only is the Delta variant creating renewed health fears, some people feel socially out of practice. What to talk about, how close to stand to others and whether to shake hands or hug are among the countless conundrums people are facing.
Suffering from emotional whiplash and feeling like social aliens, some people might prefer to remain isolated. Generally speaking, that isn’t a great idea. While avoidance may shield you from the anxiety of in-person interactions in the short-term, it isn’t a long-term solution. Avoidance typically begets avoidance—that is, the more you avoid social situations, the more isolated you will feel and the harder it will become to reconnect.
Decades of research in psychology has shown that the most effective way to disrupt the anxiety-avoidance loop is to confront the anxiety-provoking situation head on. This is known as exposure therapy. Those who are terrified of flying, for example, need to face their fear to get over it, which is why treatment for aerophobia often involves exposure through imagined flights, virtual reality, flight simulation and actual flying.
Brasil Últimas Notícias, Brasil Manchetes
Similar News:Você também pode ler notícias semelhantes a esta que coletamos de outras fontes de notícias.
8 Things Therapists Do In The Morning When They're StressedDo you wake up anxious or overwhelmed? Here's what the mental health pros personally do when they're in this situation.
Consulte Mais informação »
Lorde on Taking Agency of Her Body Image As a TeenLorde opens up about how she took control of the conversations around her body:
Consulte Mais informação »
Here’s How To Ask People Like Your Doctor Or Hairstylist If They’re VaccinatedI need the information so that I can keep my family safe.
Consulte Mais informação »
CNN’s Clarissa Ward on What She’s Seeing in Afghanistan—and Ted Cruz’s Claim She’s “Cheerleading” for the TalibanClarissa Ward would rather not talk about the bizarre claims from Ted Cruz about her reporting in Afghanistan.
Consulte Mais informação »
Here's why fully vaccinated people might need boosters -- five takeaways from the White House booster announcementFederal health officials say Covid-19 vaccines are working well. Yet they also say studies are showing that even vaccinated people are more likely to become infected now, so they are laying plans now for providing boosters, if regulators give the go-ahead
Consulte Mais informação »