In many countries around the world, wearing masks in public places is becoming mandatory. The coronavirus pandemic has forced millions of people around the world to wear protective masks. For some, this has provided a sense of calm and protection from viral infection, while for others, wearing a mask has caused discomfort, anxiety, and even fear. What are these negative feelings associated with, and is it possible to overcome them?
When 74-year-old Brigitte walks into a supermarket on the outskirts of Hamburg and sees people wearing medical masks around her, she feels insecure and afraid. Bridget grew up in Germany – after the end of World War II, she, like many others, was forced to wear a mask to protect herself from the toxins and concrete dust floating in the air after devastating fires and bombings. “My childhood was so long ago that I couldn’t even imagine that distant events of the past could come back to haunt me,” says Bridget. Now, every trip to the store wearing a mask brings back painful memories of the post-war era.
Psychologists note that since the introduction of quarantine measures due to the coronavirus pandemic, not only the elderly, but also younger people have begun to complain of discomfort, anxiety, and in some cases real fear caused by wearing masks. The need to wear a mask when leaving the house or using public transportation has revealed a controversial, sometimes diametrically opposed attitude toward this accessory. The internet and social media are abuzz with discussions about whether there is any benefit to wearing them and whether they should be worn. Users have divided into two camps – supporters and opponents of masks.
We explain quickly, simply, and clearly what happened, why it matters, and what happens next. The number of offers should remain: episodes. End of story: Advertising on podcasts. “I’ve never had to wear a mask, and I hope I never have to,” some people say. “It looks terribly uncomfortable from the outside.” “It’s not difficult to wear a mask as long as circumstances require and doctors support it, but others object.” “I get annoyed when I go to the supermarket and see people without masks sniffing tomatoes” – such judgments are encountered. Opponents of masks complain about lack of air, difficulty communicating, and restricted movement. Proponents, on the other hand, claim that they feel more protected and urge people to think of those whom a careless carrier of the virus might inadvertently infect. The World Health Organization recommends that doctors and others who care for Covid-19 patients or who experience symptoms of the coronavirus wear masks. Nevertheless, some European countries, including Spain and Italy, have made their use mandatory as part of a gradual exit from the pandemic. In Russia, almost all regions have introduced a mask wearing regime of varying degrees of severity. In Moscow, it is mandatory to wear a mask in public transport, offices and shops. Why do many people find it difficult to wear masks, and what can be done about it?
“We feel anxious when there is uncertainty around us. Wearing a mask and feeling anxious should not be considered a serious problem,” Shawn Nabors of the Center for the Treatment of Anxiety Disorders at Western Michigan University told WWMT. “This is a natural reaction of our organism to a situation in which we feel anxious because we don’t know what will happen next, or because we have never experienced it before,” he adds. One of the main reasons why some people experience anxiety when wearing masks is what psychologists call the blocking of nonverbal communication channels, or facial expressions, through which we communicate with the outside world.
During the Spanish flu epidemic 100 years ago, many residents of American states where masks were required called it a violation of civil rights. “Our nervous systems are regulated by the nonverbal communication channels we receive,” explains psychologist Susan Babel. “When someone smiles at you, your nervous system calms down and you relax and focus on the positive. “When you walk down the street, you want to be sure of your safety,” the psychologist continues. “If you don’t see the expressions on people’s faces and the signals they are sending, your nervous system automatically goes into ‘fight, flight or freeze’ mode (a state in which the body mobilizes to eliminate the threat).” “We lose a significant amount of information that we get through nonverbal communication,” says psychologist and psychotherapist Ekaterina Pozdnyakova. “Subconsciously, we are always trying to control the situation and perceive even the slightest signs of threat – which is why most people, when they go to a café or restaurant, try to sit somewhere in the corner facing the entrance from where they can see what is going on,” she explains.
Reasons for concern about the mask include
As a result, we perceive and connect less with people who wear masks, they remain strangers to us, and the chances of being liked and getting close to them decrease significantly. “A person’s eyes remain the main channel for interaction and the transmission of emotions. But if you put on tight glasses, you effectively cut yourself off from the outside world,” Pozdnyakova adds. However, if some people feel uncomfortable without seeing the other person’s face and without being able to read their emotions and disposition, this is beneficial for others – after all, they do not have to worry about the judgment of others.
Which medical mask offers the most effective protection? “For people who tend to be sociophobic or who worry a lot about how they are perceived by others, a mask can be a real lifesaver,” says psychiatrist and author of the article “The Psychology of Wearing Face Masks,” Raj Persaud. “This is because in their normal lives, they strive to hide their emotions from the world around them.” “These people live in constant fear of being judged by others. If their cheeks turn red or signs of anxiety appear on their faces, they are extremely worried that those around them will notice and form a negative opinion,” adds Persod. “The protection and greater anonymity provided by a medical mask can be a breath of fresh air for them.
Experts note that attitudes toward masks vary in different parts of the world. In some countries, people pay less attention to emotions and facial expressions and rely on other non-verbal cues to adapt more quickly and less painfully to masks. “In the U.S., we hug; in Germany, a handshake is more acceptable; in Japan, it’s a bow. It’s generally not acceptable to look someone in the eye,” says Susan Babel. In China, South Korea, and Japan, wearing masks is actually part of everyday life, often used as a means of protection against air pollution, so the locals are used to wearing masks. A few years ago, Susan Babel witnessed wildfires in California – uncontrollable fires sweeping everything in their path, terrified residents of affected areas wearing masks to avoid suffocating from the smoke and soot. The current coronavirus situation reminded her of those events. “Every day when I came back from work, I was afraid that I wouldn’t be able to go back to my house, that we could be evacuated at any moment,” she recalls. “Breathing was impossible, I was constantly coughing. Every time I go out in the street wearing a mask, the memories come back. Moscow residents who experienced the heavy smog and abnormal heat wave in the summer of 2010 have similar feelings. The air warmed to a record-breaking 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit), the sky turned yellow-brown, and pedestrians wearing masks walked the streets exhausted from the smoke and unbearable heat.
The current pandemic has reminded many people of the devastating Moscow smog of the summer of 2010. The events of the past, dredged up from the depths of our memory, are associated with the activation of the amygdala or amygdalae – areas of the brain where our emotions and memories, not always pleasant, are stored. “This field needs only a small push to bring up the memories long forgotten and seemingly forgotten forever – a chain reaction occurs in a fraction of a second,” explains Babel. At the same time, it doesn’t matter how many years have passed since the event. The nervous system somehow shuts down our logical thinking and our psychological reaction takes over. As a rule, people who have experienced trauma in the past, those who tend to have increased anxiety in everyday life, and those who suffer from claustrophobia tend to strongly reject masks, psychologists note.
Wearing a mask is one way to convince ourselves that we have the disease under control. These include people who have been attacked or robbed by strangers in masks, patients with serious illnesses who are surrounded day and night by doctors in masks, and victims of aggression, assault, and bullying. “Such people have a more active nervous system than a normal person, they are constantly looking for ways to calm down, but it is extremely difficult to do so,” explains Susan Babel. But often the mask has the opposite effect, creating an illusion of protection on a subconscious level, even if its real benefits are limited. “Wearing a mask is a way to convince ourselves that we are in control of the disease,” psychotherapist Amy Morin explains in her exclusive material for Business Insider. “We say to ourselves, ‘Look, your mask reduces the risk of infection, which helps with anxiety,'” she adds. In addition, many admit that they wear a mask because they feel responsible to society and get moral satisfaction from fulfilling their duty.
The pandemic, along with the wearing of masks, has made life and work more difficult for one of the most vulnerable populations – deaf and hard of hearing people. “Masks do not allow a deaf or hard of hearing person to read lips,” says Elena Soloveichik, director of the Center for Development and Support of Deaf and Hard of Hearing Children and their Parents, “I understand”. “Before the pandemic, deaf people faced the problem that not all doctors in clinics or hospitals were willing to take off their masks. Now it happens everywhere,” she adds.
“A person’s main channel for interacting and expressing emotions remains the eyes. But when you wear glasses, you essentially isolate yourself from the outside world.” The Russian text translates as: “Yekaterina Savchenko, who defends the rights of the deaf, says that during the quarantine communication problems were overcome, although similar issues arise periodically.” “At the beginning of the pandemic, I had a wound on my eye, so I had to go urgently to the trauma center,” recalls Ekaterina. “I wrote the reason for my visit in advance and asked for a written answer, and the doctor did just that, taking off his mask as well. “Before the pandemic, it always irritated me when I went to the doctor and they could see that I couldn’t hear, but I kept talking. I gesture to them: I can’t hear or understand you with your mouth closed, but you’re still sitting there with your mask on. Then I point to a pen, nod my head, as if to say, write. And that’s how we communicate through writing. Elena believes that the problem of difficult communication during the pandemic can be solved with the help of transparent masks or written communication. “I once saw a video on Facebook of a man translating for a deaf mayor, and the translator had a transparent mask – it was very helpful,” recalls Ekaterina. “If the translator is wearing a closed mask, we also pay attention to their gestures, but it becomes much more difficult for us to understand,” she adds. “When I walk, I wave to people and they wave back. I used to smile, but it’s not visible because of the mask” – Susan Babel. The psychologist believes that we should try to adapt to new realities and find other non-verbal signals through which we can let others know that we are friendly. A handshake is one of them. Our nervous system reacts most strongly to the information it receives from the senses. To combat stress, it is necessary to activate it.
As a general rule, people who have experienced trauma in the past or who are prone to increased anxiety in everyday life tend to react negatively to wearing a mask. “Try listening to music and taking a few deep breaths before you go outside. Singing helps calm anxiety, and we can soothe the nervous system with a favorite scent – for example, I add a drop of lavender to my mask,” says Susan.
How do I deal with the fear of wearing a mask?
You must allow yourself to take off the mask at any moment when you feel uncomfortable, says Yekaterina Savchenko. “Choose a quiet corner, take off the mask, breathe – feel the moment when the balance returns and keep moving”. Psychologists also recommend buying an original mask that you like. Now there are a lot of them for sale. “You can find a mask with a picture of beautiful lips or a superhero’s face.
“You will feel more comfortable in such a mask than in a regular medical one,” adds Yekaterina.
Susan Babel, on the other hand, urges you to try to rationalize the emotions you are experiencing, to talk them over in your head, and to understand that there is nothing abnormal about such reactions. “Talking to yourself – constructive self-hypnosis along with other stress reduction tools will allow you to feel lighter and more confident when the situation repeats itself,” she says.
But the most important thing, psychologists say, is that kindness and attention to others and to oneself, with or without a mask, can make us feel safer in such an uncertain and unpredictable world as we see today.