{"id":41675,"date":"2021-07-16T06:45:22","date_gmt":"2021-07-16T13:45:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/blog\/?p=41675"},"modified":"2026-02-13T19:25:03","modified_gmt":"2026-02-14T00:25:03","slug":"masks-off-anxiety-up-dealing-with-no-mask-anxiety","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/blog\/Masks-Off-Anxiety-Up-Dealing-With-No-Mask-Anxiety","title":{"rendered":"Masks Off, Anxiety Up: Dealing with No-Mask Anxiety"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"GoodTherapy<\/h1>\n

Masks Off, Anxiety Up: Dealing with No-Mask Anxiety<\/span><\/h1>\n

After over a year of <\/span>covering their faces, Americans across the country were told they could breathe freely earlier this year as\u00a0mask mandates were lifted.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Unfortunately, the return to \u201cnormal\u201d life hasn\u2019t been smooth sailing for everyone. In fact, nearly\u00a0<\/span>half of Americans<\/span><\/a>\u00a0admit they have concerns about resuming in-person interactions, according to the American Psychological Association.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

It appears as though the\u00a0<\/span>mental health issues<\/span><\/a>\u00a0brought about by the pandemic aren\u2019t going away anytime soon.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Indeed, \u201cno-mask anxiety\u201d is real, and folks all over America are worried about life returning to the way it was before the pandemic.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

What\u00a0Is\u00a0No-Mask\u00a0Anxiety?<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

Like the name suggests, no-mask anxiety is a condition where people are scared about the prospect of taking off their masks in public.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Those affected by no-mask anxiety feel uneasy when they themselves don\u2019t wear a face covering, and they can also be uncomfortable around others who are not wearing masks.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

People of all ages can suffer from no-mask anxiety,\u00a0<\/span>including kids<\/span><\/a>\u00a0who are not yet\u00a0vaccinated.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Worried you might be suffering from no-mask anxiety? Don\u2019t be. Doctors say it\u2019s\u00a0<\/span>completely normal<\/span><\/a>\u00a0\u2014 and will likely be an\u00a0<\/span>increasingly common diagnosis<\/span><\/a>\u00a0as we move further into the post-pandemic world.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The Why Behind\u00a0No-Mask\u00a0Anxiety\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

On top of\u00a0<\/span>general\u00a0uncertainty\u00a0about the future, there are a few reasons why folks might develop no-mask\u00a0<\/span>anxiety:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

It\u2019s become\u00a0a\u00a0habit.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n

Imagine Henry, a 45-year-old father of two.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

For the first 44 years of his life, Henry never wore a mask. All of a sudden, in 2020, he wore a mask every day, each time he stepped out of his house.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Since research says it takes an average of 66 days to\u00a0<\/span>develop a new habit<\/span><\/a>,\u00a0it comes as no surprise that Henry now feels more or less \u201cnaked\u201d without a mask on.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

It feels like\u00a0a security\u00a0blanket.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n

Throughout the pandemic, masks have served as our front line of protection against the virus. While vaccinations are helping the world safely move past the pandemic, many still feel comforted by wearing a mask and were planning on wearing them for the foreseeable future.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Then, suddenly, the\u00a0<\/span>CDC updated its guidelines<\/span><\/a>\u00a0and said that folks who were fully vaccinated could\u00a0return to pre-pandemic life. Expecting to wear a mask for some time and being told it was no longer required has been a\u00a0<\/span>difficult adjustment<\/span><\/a>\u00a0for many people.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe only time I don\u2019t have mine up is when I\u2019m at home or driving my car,\u201d\u00a0Jenny Krislov, a resident of Madison, Wisconsin, told\u00a0<\/span>Spectrum News 1<\/span><\/a>. \u201cIt almost feels like my security blanket.\u201d\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Krislov doesn\u2019t only wear the mask to protect herself. She also wears it to protect her loved ones.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Unmasking can exacerbate\u00a0social\u00a0anxiety.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n

Those who have\u00a0<\/span>social anxiety<\/span><\/a>\u00a0live in fear that their peers will judge them for awkward or abnormal behavior in social settings. Simply put, people with social anxiety do everything they can to act \u201cnormal\u201d and fit in with the crowd.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

As the pandemic began, these individuals might have been hesitant to put their masks on in the first place out of concern they\u2019d get weird looks. However, ever since masks were mandated and the vast majority of people complied, they were happy to mask up.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Now, as we transition to a post-pandemic world, social anxiety may be a bit\u00a0<\/span>higher than normal<\/span><\/a>, according to\u00a0<\/span>David Moscovitch<\/span>, a professor at the University of Waterloo. People who were nervous to be in public might have felt some comfort in being able to hide their faces. But in order to fit in now, they need to reveal their faces \u2014 which is causing some people to develop no-mask anxiety.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMany people who didn\u2019t struggle with social anxiety before the pandemic may find themselves feeling more anxious than usual as we emerge out of the pandemic and into a more uncertain future \u2014 especially within social situations where our social skills are rusty and the new rules for social engagement are yet to be written,\u201d Moscovitch wrote in a\u00a0<\/span>recent paper.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

Social anxiety got you shut down and isolated, hyper-vigilant and self-critical, or any other way that is blocking your path to a peaceful, full life? Don’t let anxiety define you. Reach out to a therapist<\/a> near you today for help.<\/h3>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Resilience and\u00a0Growing\u00a0Through\u00a0Change: How to\u00a0Conquer\u00a0No-Mask\u00a0Anxiety<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

If you\u2019re impacted by no-mask anxiety, you need to remember there\u2019s nothing to be ashamed about. None of us have ever lived through a pandemic at the scale of COVID-19 before, so we will all need to adapt to varying degrees.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

If you\u2019re looking to conquer your no-mask anxiety, here are a few tips to keep in mind:<\/span><\/p>\n

1. Take your time.<\/h3>\n

Just because other people aren\u2019t wearing masks doesn\u2019t mean you have to take yours off, too.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Doctors say there\u2019s nothing wrong with taking your time to ease back into a more open world.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou can pick a safe place with safe people, and just gradually go from there,\u201d\u00a0<\/span>Dr. Eric Berko of MetroHealth Medical Center\u00a0told\u00a0<\/span>Cleveland\u2019s Fox 8 News<\/span><\/a>. \u201cKeep a mask in your pocket. It\u2019s OK if you feel uncomfortable, just put it on. There\u2019s no harm or shame in any of that. Gradually get yourself out there, and I think you\u2019ll start to feel better and better.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

2. Force yourself to be social.<\/h3>\n

As Robert Frost once wrote, the only way out is through.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

If you find yourself saying\u00a0<\/span>no\u00a0<\/span><\/i>to social gatherings or wanting to keep your face mask on in supermarkets and retail shops, try to force yourself to do the opposite.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cCatch yourself when you\u2019re choosing to avoid even when you aren\u2019t being forced to do so by pandemic-related restrictions,\u201d\u00a0<\/span>Moscovitch said<\/span><\/a>. \u201cDo your very best to summon the courage to push yourself to enter those situations and confront your anxiety.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

3. Find resilience.<\/h3>\n

According to\u00a0<\/span>Bren\u00e9 Brown, people who are resilient in the face of trauma tend to practice\u00a0<\/span>three specific acts<\/span><\/a>:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n