More than two years ago, when many offices closed for two weeks — and then two more, and then indefinitely — Kaitlin Soule knew the change in routine would ultimately spell trouble for people with social anxiety.
“I remember thinking at the beginning of the pandemic, ‘This is going to be the worst thing for them,’ ” said Soule, a therapist based in the San Francisco Bay area. She knew that, although people with social anxiety initially might be excited about the opportunity to dodge their triggers (busy offices, awkward meetings or conferences swimming with strangers), avoidance would eventually exacerbate their anxiety. “We say in the anxiety world that the more you practice sitting with the uncomfortable, the better you get at it. So, after two years of not practicing, it’s jarring and feels like a big mountain people have to climb to get back to work.”
