Stepping into a Post-Pandemic World

Two years of isolation in a Covid world have given birth to this phenomenon called “reopening anxiety”

- Monique Toda

I am not alone when I say that reopening anxiety is real. It’s happening and we must prepare ourselves to step into a post-pandemic world—cautiously, slowly. As the Covid numbers and alert levels go down, it is inevitable. Denmark, despite its rising numbers of infections (of the Omicron variety), has lifted all its restrictions due to their claim of low hospitalisation rates. In the UK, the easing of Covid regulations is underway. While in the US, some states have removed restrictions and fully opened their economies. Many countries will follow suit in one way or another. We can’t stay in our caves forever.

Since the start of the pandemic, anxiety has accompanied us. And it will continue to be by our side after. The New Yorker calls the times “The Age of Reopening Anxiety” in a piece penned by Anna Russell. The article cites a report by the American Psychological Association mentioning that close to half of adults in their survey “did not feel comfortable going back to living life like they used to before the pandemic”.