A clinical psychologist for the region says new levels of anxiety and stress are normal as restrictions relax.
Aedamar Bergin, a local Principal Clinical Psychologist with the HSE, says that while natural resilience may have grown for people during lockdown, the increase of personal responsibility as things return to normal is challenging.
Her advice is to protect your mental health by making decisions on a personal basis, doing only what is safe for you, and trying to strike a balance between returning to normality and exercising individual and social responsibility.
Aedamar says it is important to re-build connections, but to acknowledge the worries and stresses that this can cause, and to reach out if support is needed to get through these challenges.
Speaking to Shannonside Northern Sound she said that adults should also recognise the concerns their children, or young people may have and work to support each other.
She says that often children are very rigid when it comes to rules and may also fear the return to normal activities in case the contract the virus, or do the wrong thing, and therefore, asking them about their worries or concerns is important.
At the same time parents and adults should not ignore their own emotions at this time which she says may be heightened and that is understandable and ok.
While many of the outcomes of Covid-19 are not considered positive, Aedamar feels there are aspects of life that could be kept as we move forward such as excercising, slowing down,and connecting with family.
