Managing social anxiety in a pandemic

May is Mental Health Awareness Month and with vaccinations and new guidances about masks, you may be apprehensive about getting back to normal.

Newsy's Lindsey Theis asked the experts about dealing with social anxiety.

WITH VACCINATIONS AND NEWGUIDANCESABOUT MASKS -- YOU MAY BEAPPREHENSIVE ABOUT GETTINGBACK TO NORMAL.NEWSY'S LINDSEY THEIS ASKED THEEXPERTS ABOUT DEALING WITHSOCIAL ANXIETY.OK, SO YOU HAVE YOUR VACCINECARD, AND THE CDC NOW SAYSSOME OUTDOOR SITUATIONS DON'TNEED MASKS.

BUT YOU STILL HAVETHAT SOCIAL APPREHENSION ORDREADING ABOUT GOI"BACK TO" ANYTHING?

YOU'RE NOTALONE.

TAKE SOT DR. ERICFRENCH, MEDICAL DIRECTOR OFADULT PSYCHIATRY, MEDICAL CENTEROF AURORA[00:15:43]-[00:15:45][2.7] THEANXIETY IS NOT A PUSH-BUTTONFUNCTION.

YOU CAN'T JUST TURN ITOFF.

+ [00:15:29]-[00:15:35][5.4]PEOPLE ARE GOING TO HAVE SOMEAPPREHENSIONS.

ITHINK IT'S COMPLETELY NATURAL.IF YOU DIDN'T, I'D BESHOCKED.TAKE SOT SANA POWEL, LCP, THECURLY THERAPIST [00:10:58]-[00:11:13][14.6] LIVING THROUGHA PANDEMIC FOR OVER A YEARTAKES A TOLL ON THE MIND ANDBODY.

SO WHETHER OR NOTYOU REALIZE IT, YOU HAVE MADE SOMANY CHANGES TOACCOMMODATE YOUR ENVIRONMENT ANDTHECONSTANT CHANGE THAT'S BEEN THEPAST YEAR FOR ALL OFUS.EXPERTS SAY WHETHER IT'S BACKINTO THE OFFICE AFTERWORKING FROM THE HOME, ORFEELING OUT A FAMILY ORFRIENDLY GATHERING, COMMUNICATEYOURBOUNDARIES IN A SIMPLE WAY.TAKE SOT SANA POWEL, LCP, THECURLY THERAPIST [00:16:44] -[00:16:48][4.2]THIS MIGHT STIRUP SOME ANXIETY IN US BECAUSE WEDON'T WANT TO NEGATIVELY IMPACTOUR RELATIONSHIPS.

+[00:13:57]- [00:14:02][4.5]SO INSTEAD OF OVER EXPLAININGWHY YOU FEEL THE WAY YOU DOOR WHY YOU NEED WHAT YOU DO, +[00:17:30]-.

[00:17:44][13.8] ASIMPLE FRAMEWORK YOU CAN USE FORCLEARLY COMMUNICATING YOURBOUNDARIES IS BY SAYING I FEEL.WHEN YOU.

AND I NEED.

+[00:17:59] AND REMEMBER THAT THEPEOPLE WHO CARE ABOUT YOU, EVENIF THEY DON'T