Lifting restrictions could cause anxiety for many as unknowns persist, experts say

As provinces begin lifting COVID-19 pandemic restrictions, psychology experts expect stress and anxiety to run high among those who remain wary of letting their guards down.

It will take time for many to adjust, they say, but the quick approach some provinces are taking could make the transition more jarring.

Alberta ended its vaccine certificate system on Wednesday, days before its mask requirements for students is set to drop, while Saskatchewan plans to do away with its vaccine mandate on Monday. Other provinces, including Ontario, have taken a more gradual approach to dismantling COVID-19 measures.

Steve Joordens, a psychology professor at the University of Toronto, said it's natural for people to feel conflicted as restrictions ease.

Though many are tired of the mandates aimed at slowing the spread of the virus, there's still some underlying fear.

"In the back of our mind there's this niggling anxiety of: are we doing this too soon?" Joordens said. "Are we going to end up getting our butts kicked again [by a new variant]? And given all the division we're seeing right now, could this make things worse?"

After two years of being told to avoid the virus, it will be hard for some people to switch their mindset, Joordens said.

Limited PCR testing, which previously helped indicate how much COVID-19 was circulating, adds another complicated wrinkle by removing some of the information people used to weigh their own risk.

Joordens expects the majority of people, even those who feel initial stress around reopening, will resume previous social interactions in public settings quite easily.

But others, including people with conditions that make them more vulnerable, will have a harder time.

For those who have linked certain scenarios — like large crowds and unmasked individuals — to threats of danger, Joordens said reopening could bring about conditions similar to post-traumatic stress disorder.

"We really all need to understand that ... we're all weathering the same storm but we're doing so in very different boats," he said, adding that employers will need to be cognizant of that as work-from-home measures are relaxed.

"Some of us, we're feeling it on a much more emotional level. And those people are going to have a bit more trouble. They're going to need a bit more understanding."

Sarah Bara, a mother of two in Calgary, said she's feeling particularly anxious about her eight- and 11-year-old children going to class with unmasked peers next week.