View larger image — Appalachian State University students relax and study in small groups on Sanford Mall. App State professor Dr. Kurt Michael advises that gradual exposure to everyday activities will help with anxieties and fears related to returning to in-person activities amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Photo by Marie Freeman

How to navigate the return to in-person activities

“For those feeling uneasy, gradual exposure will help ease the transition.”

Dr. Kurt Michael, App State’s Stanley R. Aeschleman Distinguished Professor of Psychology, on returning to in-person activities amid the pandemic.

5 tips for easing reentry anxiety

Here are some everyday actions you can take to help ease anxiety related to returning to pre-pandemic activities:

Practice being in the present moment — Take a few minutes a day to pause and practice mindfulness. One way to do this is through breathing exercises, which can help you feel calm and grounded. Take a few deep breaths and focus on the rhythm of your breathing.
Recognize what you can control — Doing simple but important things, such as following COVID-19 guidelines, can help you regain some sense of control in otherwise uncertain times.
Pay attention to your unique situation — Your anxiety may have additional, valid reasons — for instance, if you suffer from underlying health conditions. In this case, it’s important to consult your physician before making any reentry decisions or plans.
Take a gradual approach — Resume activities gradually rather than rushing into things full force. Prudence and caution are strengths in a pandemic.
Practice gratitude — Write down a list of things for which you are grateful. This valuable exercise can offer a bigger picture perspective.

For more tips, read “10 Tips to Manage Re-Entry Anxiety Related to the COVID-19 Pandemic.”

Source: Anxiety and Depression Association of America

By Megan Bruffy

Posted Aug. 3, 2021 at 3:54 p.m.

BOONE, N.C. — More than a year of social isolation due to COVID-19 has caused many people to fall out of practice regarding how to be with others in person, according to Dr. Kurt Michael, the Stanley R. Aeschleman Distinguished Professor of Psychology in Appalachian State University’s Dr. Wiley F. Smith Department of Psychology.

“For those feeling uneasy, gradual exposure will help ease the transition.”

Dr. Kurt Michael, App State’s Stanley R. Aeschleman Distinguished Professor of Psychology, on returning to in-person activities amid the pandemic.

For those who are just resuming pre-pandemic activities, Michael first recommends getting fully vaccinated and then moving “slowly but steadily back into the social milieu.”

While data show significant surges in depression and anxiety since the pandemic began, Michael cautions against jumping to the diagnosis of a psychological condition such as social anxiety. He said COVID-19 is, in fact, an “existential threat to life and health” and the term anxiety does not necessarily capture the extent of the threat.

“I think it’s fear, plain and simple,” Michael said. “I suggest we seek to normalize an expected reaction to an unprecedented, catastrophic pandemic.”

For those feeling uneasy, gradual exposure will help ease the transition, he said. One example: Use outdoor dining options at restaurants a few times, use a face covering when not eating and then consider if you’re ready to try sitting inside.

Michael also offers ways to support friends, family and colleagues who may be struggling with the reintegration to daily, in-person life:

Support health-preserving behaviors. Get fully vaccinated and keep a face covering on hand.
Be patient.
Be compassionate.
Support a gradual and consistent reentry into daily, in-person life.

If fears and anxieties related to the pandemic are interfering with how a person navigates their daily life, Michael suggests they consider contacting a cognitive behavioral therapist, many of whom are serving patients remotely. App State offers Counseling and Psychological Services for students and Counseling for Faculty and Staff. Trained counselors at Crisis Text Line (text HELLO to 741-741) are also available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

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5 tips for easing reentry anxiety

Here are some everyday actions you can take to help ease anxiety related to returning to pre-pandemic activities:

Practice being in the present moment — Take a few minutes a day to pause and practice mindfulness. One way to do this is through breathing exercises, which can help you feel calm and grounded. Take a few deep breaths and focus on the rhythm of your breathing.
Recognize what you can control — Doing simple but important things, such as following COVID-19 guidelines, can help you regain some sense of control in otherwise uncertain times.
Pay attention to your unique situation — Your anxiety may have additional, valid reasons — for instance, if you suffer from underlying health conditions. In this case, it’s important to consult your physician before making any reentry decisions or plans.
Take a gradual approach — Resume activities gradually rather than rushing into things full force. Prudence and caution are strengths in a pandemic.
Practice gratitude — Write down a list of things for which you are grateful. This valuable exercise can offer a bigger picture perspective.

For more tips, read “10 Tips to Manage Re-Entry Anxiety Related to the COVID-19 Pandemic.”

Source: Anxiety and Depression Association of America

Counseling and Psychological Services

The Counseling and Psychological Services Center supports the mission of Appalachian State University and the Division of Student Affairs in the academic, vocational, emotional, social and cultural development of students.

Learn more

Counseling for Faculty and Staff

Counseling for Faculty and Staff (CFS) provides counseling, consultation, training, and referrals for concerns that impact both your personal and professional lives.

Learn more

Meeting students’ mental health needs in a crisis, and beyond

May 15, 2020

Appalachian’s Division of Student Affairs examines resources to help Mountaineer students cope with mental health issues during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.

Read the story

$2.5M grant supports App State’s continued provision of mental health training and services in rural NC

Dec. 4, 2019

Dr. Kurt Michael, Appalachian’s Stanley R. Aeschleman Distinguished Professor of Psychology, is the university’s principal investigator for the federal grant that, over the next five years, will support the provision of mental health services and training in Western North Carolina’s rural K–12 schools.

Read the story

App State's Dr. Maggie Sugg receives National Science Foundation award for mental health research

June 4, 2021

App State assistant professor Dr. Maggie Sugg has earned a CAREER Award from the National Science Foundation. These awards support early career faculty who have the potential to serve as academic role models in research and education, and to lead advances in the mission of their department or organization.

Read the story

About the Dr. Wiley F. Smith Department of Psychology

Appalachian State University’s Dr. Wiley F. Smith Department of Psychology serves more than 1,400 undergraduate majors seeking the Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science degree in psychology, as well as 90 graduate students across four graduate programs: experimental psychology (MA), industrial-organizational psychology and human resource management (MA), school psychology (MA/SSP) and clinical psychology (PsyD). Learn more at https://psych.appstate.edu.

About the College of Arts and Sciences

The College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) at Appalachian State University is home to 17 academic departments, two centers and one residential college. These units span the humanities and the social, mathematical and natural sciences. CAS aims to develop a distinctive identity built upon our university's strengths, traditions and locations. The college’s values lie not only in service to the university and local community, but through inspiring, training, educating and sustaining the development of its students as global citizens. More than 6,800 student majors are enrolled in the college. As the college is also largely responsible for implementing App State’s general education curriculum, it is heavily involved in the education of all students at the university, including those pursuing majors in other colleges. Learn more at https://cas.appstate.edu.

About Appalachian State University

As a premier public institution, Appalachian State University prepares students to lead purposeful lives. App State is one of 17 campuses in the University of North Carolina System, with a national reputation for innovative teaching and opening access to a high-quality, affordable education for all. The university enrolls more than 21,000 students, has a low student-to-faculty ratio and offers more than 150 undergraduate and 80 graduate majors at its Boone and Hickory campuses and through App State Online. Learn more at https://www.appstate.edu.

“For those feeling uneasy, gradual exposure will help ease the transition.”

Dr. Kurt Michael, App State’s Stanley R. Aeschleman Distinguished Professor of Psychology, on returning to in-person activities amid the pandemic.

5 tips for easing reentry anxiety

Here are some everyday actions you can take to help ease anxiety related to returning to pre-pandemic activities:

Practice being in the present moment — Take a few minutes a day to pause and practice mindfulness. One way to do this is through breathing exercises, which can help you feel calm and grounded. Take a few deep breaths and focus on the rhythm of your breathing.
Recognize what you can control — Doing simple but important things, such as following COVID-19 guidelines, can help you regain some sense of control in otherwise uncertain times.
Pay attention to your unique situation — Your anxiety may have additional, valid reasons — for instance, if you suffer from underlying health conditions. In this case, it’s important to consult your physician before making any reentry decisions or plans.
Take a gradual approach — Resume activities gradually rather than rushing into things full force. Prudence and caution are strengths in a pandemic.
Practice gratitude — Write down a list of things for which you are grateful. This valuable exercise can offer a bigger picture perspective.

For more tips, read “10 Tips to Manage Re-Entry Anxiety Related to the COVID-19 Pandemic.”

Source: Anxiety and Depression Association of America

Counseling and Psychological Services

Learn more

Counseling for Faculty and Staff

Counseling for Faculty and Staff (CFS) provides counseling, consultation, training, and referrals for concerns that impact both your personal and professional lives.

Learn more