We had a 45-minute office session today, and the client was talking about how hard it’s been to adjust back to normal life since the pandemic. They said quote 'I feel like I forgot how to be around people' unquote and mentioned that even being around friends or family makes them feel anxious now. They said that before the pandemic, they were really social, but now even just going to the grocery store makes them nervous. They’ve been avoiding gatherings and other social events, and it’s starting to affect their relationships because they’re pulling away.
We talked about how it’s pretty common for people to feel this way after being isolated for so long, and that we can take small steps to ease them back into social situations without it feeling overwhelming. I suggested starting with something low-pressure, like meeting one or two friends for coffee in a quiet place, just to help them get used to being around people again. We also discussed how they could use some breathing techniques or grounding exercises if they start to feel anxious in social settings. Their homework is to try attending one small social event this week, even if it’s something casual like grabbing coffee with a friend, and to practice those grounding exercises if the anxiety pops up.
They seemed nervous about it but agreed to give it a try. We’ll meet again next week to check in on how it went and see if we need to adjust anything.