Facemask wearing is still an important part of how we protect ourselves and others from COVID-19 infection and will continue to be so for some time yet. Wearing facemasks in public is something government regulations currently require us to do. For most people that doesn’t cause a problem, but for some groups, it is a difficult thing to comply with.

For some, there are medical reasons for their inability to wear a facemask and for that reason, they are granted exemptions from government guidance (Exemptions in England, Exemptions in Wales, Exemptions in Scotland, Exemptions in NI).

The mental health charity MIND has considered the difficulties faced by people who are prone to suffering from anxiety that is difficult to control and in particular the anxieties associated with facemasks. This may be anxiety when attempting to wear a facemask, but it can also include anxiety caused when not wearing a facemask in situations where many other people will be wearing one. MIND has written a useful information page that addresses all of these difficulties and offers tips on how to manage those emotions – even those who are wearing a facemask and who feel anxious about being around others not wearing one.

We can all suffer from anxiety when placed in unfamiliar, unusual or uncomfortable situations – none more so than in a global pandemic – so there is something to learn for most of us in this article

Click here to go to the MIND website page on facemask anxiety.