Why you may feel some trepidation about lockdown ending

Many Melburnians are excited to venture out as lockdown eases, but some are feeling uneasy about the transition.

Psychologist Sabina Read says it’s understandable that some will find re-entering society challenging.

“It can be anxiety-provoking … particularly for people more introverted,” she told Dee Dee.

Studies examining people who have spent long periods in isolation — in Antarctica or outer space — show many struggle to readjust.

“The stats say that nearly 100 per cent of astronauts want to go back to where they’ve come from,” Sabina said.

“The research shows it’s because it’s given people time to sit, to think, to reflect and to think about what’s important to them.

“That’s what a lot of us have done during this period of lockdown in Melbourne, and then we’re being asked to go back into a world which is not going to be the same as where we’ve come from.”

Press PLAY below for Sabina Read’s full segment on 3AW Afternoons.