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Top 5 takeaways from Sir JK and Dr Fiona’s conversation about re-entry anxiety

Sir JK and Dr Fiona Crichton recently hosted a live webinar about re-entry anxiety.

Re-entry anxiety is something both Sir JK and Fiona are grappling with at the moment. Together, they explored coping strategies, acknowledged mixed emotions about emerging from lockdown, and explained why re-entering feels so tricky.

You can watch a replay of their chat right here or read the highlights below.

1. It’s normal to feel anxious right now

One of the first questions Sir JK asked was: “Is it normal for me to be anxious about this?”

And Fiona’s answer was a resounding yes.

“It would be weird if you weren’t experiencing re-entry anxiety at the moment,” says Fiona.

“Our brains are designed to keep everything certain, and all we can see around us is uncertainty.”

For Sir JK, uncertainty shows up as questions like these:

  • What do I do now?

  • What if I forget my mask?

  • Are people going to be nice to me when I visit from Auckland?

  • Can I hug my friends? Do I fist pump? Should I ask permission?

  • What do I do in the workplace?

If you’re also asking these types of questions, you’re not alone. It might take you a few weeks or even months to adjust to life out of lockdown – and that’s okay. Go easy on yourself. It’s normal to feel anxious.

2. Figure out what’s bothering you the most

“There are lots of reasons you might find re-entry unsettling,” says Fiona.

“You might feel overwhelmed at the thought of seeing people again after being home for a few months – this type of social anxiety is very common, even if you’re extroverted.

“Another reason could be around hygiene. You might be worried about going to the gym because of their hygiene practices. Or perhaps you’re worried about whether people will follow the rules.”

Fiona suggests identifying what’s making you the most anxious so you “can make a plan that matches what you’re worried about”.

“The antidote to this kind of anxiety is having a plan. This will help move our brain out of the fight or flight response,” explains Fiona.

3. Stay CALM and try Sir JK’s AAA battery trick

Both Sir JK and Fiona use acronyms to help them cope with re-entry anxiety.

Sir JK came up with his ‘AAA battery technique’:

  • Awareness

  • Acknowledgement

  • Action

“I’m aware that Covid is causing this anxiety. I have a justified reason for feeling the emotions I’m feeling right now. I acknowledge the situation I’m in. Then I create an action plan. I go to the Mentemia Worry Map and I write it down. If I note what I can and can’t control, and try to anticipate things, then that takes the stress out of it.”

Sir JK adds: “If I don’t do these three things, my battery gets really low.”

Fiona created the CALM acronym for parents, teachers, managers, employers, and anyone else in a position of leadership.

  • Communicate the plan

  • Ask about challenges and concerns

  • Listen to what people really need

  • Model the behaviour you want to see

Fiona explains the acronym in more detail in CALM: An acronym for helping employees manage re-entry anxiety.

4. Speak up to feel safe

If you don’t feel safe somewhere – be it at work, a social gathering, or the supermarket – it’s important to speak up if you can (and it’s safe to do so). You may feel unsafe if people are wearing masks incorrectly or standing too close together, for example.

“This is about your life, this isn’t just a silly niggle. We often do this thing in our head where we go: am I being unreasonable? Is it okay for me to bring this up? Covid-19 is a very real risk and I think it’s perfectly reasonable to voice your concerns to whoever manages the establishment,” says Fiona.

“It’s about your health and sometimes you have to make some big decisions. I’ve done that in my family: there are some rules to keep myself and my kids safe. My heart goes out to you if you’re having problems within your family, I know it’s really tough, but it’s important to protect your health.”

5. Find coping strategies that work for you

Everyone experiences re-entry anxiety differently, so it’s important to find coping strategies that work for your unique anxiety response.

Here are two ideas from Fiona that might help.

Drink a glass of iced water

“The moment you’re starting to feel overwhelmed, drink some really cold water. When we’re in panic we get something called vasoconstriction, which means our blood vessels are constricting (which is part of fight or flight) and it makes us really hot. We can short-circuit with a cold glass of water.”

Take it slow

“Don’t try and just fix it all at once. Go easy on yourself. A lot of people are finding it really hard to go out into the public right now. Start slow. Go easy. Your brain needs to understand it’s safe. Be gentle on yourself. Remind yourself: this is my brain trying to keep me safe, this is normal, I’m okay.”

For more tools and resources to manage anxiety, you might like our collection: What helps when you’re feeling anxious.

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