While we know the all too familiar ‘Fear Of Missing Out’, many of us are grappling with the opposite right now.  FOGO - aka the ‘Fear of Going Out’ - is increasingly common following the social distancing measures we’ve all been adhering to this year.

After months of isolation, anxiety about reengaging with the wider world and living with a fear of contagion and adapting lifestyles to a new norm is overwhelming. Award-wining hypnotherapist and life coach, Malminder Gill offers 5 techniques to ease the transition:

Take it gradually

We are undergoing a second disruptive change of lifestyle: take your time to figure out how to incorporate new habits into your routine. ‘Going back to normal’ is meant to be a process. Nobody is asking you to return to your pre-lockdown life straightaway, rather introduce changes to your lifestyle weekly.

Cultivate positivity

To help with managing stress, avoiding unnecessary panic and reducing anxiety, an effective exercise is to repeat affirmations and mantras such as ‘I trust my body’s internal wisdom’; ‘Although I can’t see the light at the end of the tunnel I know it’s there’; ‘I’m choosing to see the positive in each and every day’. Malminder guides those suffering doing so in her free online programme ‘Manage Coronavirus Anxiety’, where she combines different relaxation techniques including deep breathing.

Create certainties

The current situation has forced us to navigate through uncertainty, causing our anxiety levels to peak. Try to find ways of feeling in control again,  these may be simple actions like starting a day with a run or grabbing your to-go breakfast at your local café.

Boost your immune system

To counteract the negative effect of anxiety on the immune system, make sure you are getting enough sleep, eating plenty of nutrient-rich fruits and vegetables and staying active.

Set priorities

To make this transition easier, it is helpful to have a clear picture of what your priorities are going to be. Write them down and outline how you can achieve them.

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Malminder has also newly launched monthly Zoom Evening Hypnosis sessions.

This is something she launched last month, as a follow up from her online Manage Coronavirus Anxiety programme, which has been downloaded by thousands back in Spring. The night hypnosis help people drift off, reduce stress levels, and enhance general wellbeing while improving sleep quality and making falling asleep much easier. It continues to provide coping strategies and stress-relief on a subconscious level long after the session ends. Next session will be November 10th, at 9pm. Sign up here.