As the United States – and indeed, the entire world – continues to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, there is a multitude of residual issues people need to sort through. Even though the U.S. is fortunate enough to have readily available vaccines, the novel coronavirus still represents an active threat to millions of Americans. Furthermore, many of the mental health issues the pandemic has facilitated aren’t just going to magically go away. While life may be gradually returning to normal, the pandemic isn’t yet over, and taking measures to work through the damage the past year has done to your psychological well-being is sure to serve you well.

Find a Good Therapist

You’d be hard-pressed to find someone on whom to last year took no emotional toll. Whether the pandemic’s effects on your mental health are glaringly obvious or well-hidden, you’re likely to benefit from speaking to a dependable therapist. A good therapist will help you work through the emotional trauma caused by COVID-19, identify anxiety triggers and provide you with effective coping tools to use in the future.

If you’re comfortable with the idea of in-person sessions, consider exploring remote therapy options. For instance, Big Apple residents interested in alternatives to in-person therapy can find a bevy of attractive options for online therapy New York. Considering how hard NYC was hit in the early days of the pandemic, a fair number of New Yorkers stand to benefit from comprehensive therapy.

Get Vaccinated

Although getting a COVID-19 vaccine may seem like a no-brainer, a staggering number of Americans have yet to even get their first dose. There are a variety of reasons for which people are refusing a readily available vaccine, with weaponized disinformation and outright ignorance being chief among them. In fact, many of the same people who have been clamoring for a return to normalcy throughout the last year are now refusing to get vaccinated. Unless you have a medical condition that precludes you from vaccination, you would do well to get vaccinated at your earliest possible convenience. With vaccines available for free at countless pharmacies, medical facilities, and pop-up clinics, no one can use lack of accessibility as an excuse.

In addition to offering protection against COVID-19 and its growing number of variants, getting vaccinated can also be a boon to your mental health. For example, if you’ve spent the last year living in fear of a virus that’s killed over 600,000 Americans, being fully vaccinated can provide you with tremendous peace of mind. Of course, this isn’t to say that you shouldn’t continue to take common-sense precautions, but getting vaccinated will enable you to let your hair down a bit and enjoy certain activities that were off-limits during COVID-19’s initial surge.

Not Being Afraid to Say No

While resuming your pre-pandemic habits and routines is certainly an attractive prospect, it’s important that you return to normal life at your own pace. Someone dealing with PTSD or other psychological ailments brought about by the novel coronavirus shouldn’t be forced back into old routines at someone else’s preferred speed. So, if friends or family members try pressuring you into any activities with which you’re not entirely comfortable, don’t be afraid to say no, even if it means catching flack from these individuals.

Continue to Take Common Sense Precautions

As previously stated, even fully vaccinated individuals should continue taking common-sense precautions against COVID-19. While being fully vaccinated with providing a fair level of protection against the virus, breakthrough cases are not unheard of. Furthermore, this should not be taken as a sign that the vaccines are ineffective. No vaccine is perfect, and breakthrough cases for any virus are to be expected. Additionally, with an increasing number of COVID-19 variants popping up, continuing to mask up and avoid contact with unvaccinated individuals is well within your rights.

To say that the COVID-19 pandemic took a tremendous toll on millions of people’s mental health would be an understatement. Not only has the intense stress brought about by the pandemic exacerbated existing mental health issues, it’s also given rise to a host of new ones. Even if the effects the pandemic has had on your mental health aren’t readily apparent, it’s important to stay on top of such issues and regard mental health care as a priority.