Please, do you.

Many people are now battling different forms of anxiety as we plan to return to some form of normality after about three months of quarantine and lockdown due to COVID 19. Some are worried their health could be at risk, while some are just not sure it is ideal to go out there yet. People are still anxious and nervous about COVID 19 in general. Some people are not sure church is actually for them this year until a vaccine has been found.

Please, do you.

Don’t let anyone force you out of your home if you are not ready, but on the other hand, don’t succumb to fear or anxiety as well.

As a therapist, I also struggle with some forms of anxiety. For example, when I traveled with my daughter and friends to Israel in 2016, there was a time I declined to join camel riding for the sheer fear of falling. My daughter and my friends had so much fun riding the camels, but they failed in persuading me to join. I had peace not going, yes I missed out, but well, there is always another time or another day, but it was just not that day.

Sometime last year, I was driving, and it began to rain, and I was on a steep bridge, all of a sudden, I became frozen, my legs could not move, and there were cars behind me, and the rain was blinding. There was no way I could stop in the middle of a bridge, I ended up singing and praying, and the anxiety dissipated, and I was able to drive safely.

Anxiety comes in different shapes and forms, and we react to them differently. Anxiety can indeed trigger your flight-or-fight stress response, and this can release a flood of chemicals and hormones, like adrenaline, into your system. This increases your pulse and breathing rate in the short term, so your brain can get more oxygen. This prepares you to respond appropriately to an intense situation. For me, that was what happened when my legs became frozen on the bridge.

As we get ready to go back to normal, maybe you are scared, and you are not prepared to go back to church or your normal activities, please, don’t let anyone make you feel as if you are weak, work it through. Listen to yourself; you may even check in with a trusted family member or a therapist or someone that you know who will not be subjective but be objective and listen and assist you in making up your mind on what to do. Adopt healthy habits such as regular exercise, proper nutrition, and at least seven hours of sleep a night, and this will surely help give your immune system a boost.

As you take your time to go back, do it at your pace. Don’t allow people to force you to join in and ask yourself if this is something you need counseling for and then reach out to a therapist near you.

Written by Ibukun Ogunsina, New Beginnings Barrie, Psychotherapy and Counselling Services. Website: www.newbeginningsbarrie.com
E-mail: inquiry@newbeginningsbarrie.com
Tel: +1 705 241 8456