'True anxiety about going back to work': Studies show Canadians feeling post-pandemic anxiety
As Ontario moves closer to reopening the province, the idea of returning to a pre-pandemic life is stressful for some Canadians.
'There is true anxiety about going back to work," says Dr. David Dozois, a professor of psychology at Western University.
"There's been a number of polls, Leger for example, said that 53 per cent of people are anxious about returning back. The American Psychological Association said that about 50 per cent of people are anxious about the kind of social etiquette of going back to work, and the Mental Health Research Canada has also released a poll showing that 71 per cent of people are worried about catching COVID post-pandemic."
That doesn't seem to be the case in the U.S. Many sports stadiums are at full capacity with no masks required. Many states have no restrictions at all.
However in Canada, whether it be dining outdoors or indoors, getting a hair cut, heading to the gym, or even a movie theatre, the fears of catching COVID-19 are real.
Business associations are working hard to assure the public that if protocols are followed, they'll be safe.
"We have been doing vignette videos to show people, kind of what the things are, and in the most recent ones we've had people in masks doing the things that they do in their business," says Brian Yeomans, chair of the Windsor, Ont. Business Improvement Association (BIA).
"In some of them people have been wearing masks, goggles and showing you the procedures that they've had to take to make sure that their customers feel safe and are safe."
At Downtown London, executive director Barbara Maly hasn't noticed customer hesitation.
"We're actually finding there's a lot of pent-up demand for people to come downtown, especially now that we've got two weekends under our belt with patios being open," she says.
However, she does feel it is important for everyone involved to make each other feel safe.
"It's not only shops and restaurants, but it's events that we're looking to put on in the future," says Maly.
"As restrictions lift, we'll be planning activations and events, according to what restrictions are in effect at the time. Once we get notice, we will probably start with some smaller activations again, and we're looking forward to the fall and even the holiday season. There's a lot of planning that goes into this, and a lot of detail that needs to go into it and thinking around, 'how do we ensure safety of those who come and visit us downtown?'"
Dozois feels its important to be compassionate and understanding of people's anxiety levels, and if necessary, help ease people back into post-pandemic life.
"I can see a lot of people wearing masks for some time to come, even though it's not going to be sort of required," says Dozois.
"I think that will be an important thing for some people to do just to feel better about it, as time goes on, I think people will get more used to that."
And as fears are faced, and anxiety lessens, eventually those people may be comfortable with taking the mask off.
"I think we just need to kind of allow people to handle their anxiety, the way they are doing it and have the respect and compassion for other people,"says Dozois.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
'Anything to win': Trudeau says as Poilievre defends meeting protesters
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is accusing Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre of welcoming 'the support of conspiracy theorists and extremists,' after the Conservative leader was photographed meeting with protesters, which his office has defended.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Pilot reported fire onboard plane carrying fuel, attempted to return to Fairbanks just before crash
One of the two pilots aboard an airplane carrying fuel reported there was a fire on the airplane shortly before it crashed and burned outside Fairbanks, killing both people on board, a federal aviation official said Wednesday.
Police tangle with students in Texas and California as wave of campus protest against Gaza war grows
Police tangled with student demonstrators in Texas and California while new encampments sprouted Wednesday at Harvard and other colleges as school leaders sought ways to defuse a growing wave of pro-Palestinian protests.
'One of the single most terrifying things ever': Ontario couple among passengers on sinking tour boat in Dominican Republic
A Toronto couple are speaking out about their 'extremely dangerous' experience on board a sinking tour boat in the Dominican Republic last week.
7 surveillance videos linked to extortions of South Asian home builders in Edmonton released
The Edmonton Police Service has released a number of surveillance videos related to a series of extortion cases in the city now dubbed 'Project Gaslight.'