“Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.” – Theodore Roosevelt
This week Justice Clarence Thomas rejected a request to end federal requirements for masks on public transportation including airlines after a man expressed unwillingness to wear a mask on an airplane flight due to generalized anxiety disorder. Many transportation companies and some destinations still require the use of a face mask to prevent to spread of COVID 19 and with the increase of new variants there is increased likelihood for returning mandates in other locales. The headlines this morning read that Los Angeles reinstated their mask mandate due to rising cases. While this issue isn’t exactly about making travel therapeutic, it does involve mental health and travel. As I encourage you to travel out into the world to heal and grow I would be remiss if I didn’t discuss this issue and provide some solutions.
I have heard some comments that people are using their anxiety to get out of wearing a mask. While that may be a possibility the potential for mask wearing to increase anxiety is valid. There are a number of ways that mask wearing can increase anxiety for some people. Including:
- A feeling of being trapped or claustrophobic because their face is covered
- Sensory issues with fabric being against their skin
- Glasses fogging up preventing people from seeing and potentially making them feel uneasy
- Fear related to not being able to see others faces around them
- Anxiety related to not being able to see non-verbals that allow us to understand people’s intention and communication
- For some masks may be triggers for memories of a traumatic event such as a home invasion or robbery
- Anxiety related to your own self-esteem or concerns that others cannot understand or may misunderstand you
All of these reasons are valid and can be difficult to cope with, especially during long flights or instances when you must wear a mask for a long-time. Due to mask mandates and the greater risk of health concerns though, you may have to wear a mask. What then do you ask? There are some things you can do to reduce anxiety and hopefully this will help those of you who struggle with anxiety related to mask wearing. The first suggestion is to plan ahead and choose a mask that helps you to feel the least amount of anxiety but still offers protection. I tried on a few and thought I would share my thoughts with you:
This one is probably the most safe as it is rated by NIOSH (National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health). However, as far as it related to anxiety, it is tight and doesn’t provide for much breathing room. It gets rather uncomfortable after wearing it for a short time. The fabric is also very rough and it has sharp edges. If I was doing brain surgery, this might be my choice, but if we are trying to select a mask that reduces anxiety this one would not be it.
I got this one complimentary from Betterhelp, an online therapy provider that I have done some work with. The fabric is super soft, like a pair of leggings. It also fits loosely which allows for both some comfort and breathing room. Although, I have a small face and this one was hard to keep up while talking and there were enough gaps that I am not sure how much it was protecting me from the germs.
My lovely mother, Connie, made this mask for me. It is double layered and it has a piece of wire in the nose to adjust for additional comfort. It allows for more room than the N95 but less than the Betterhelp mask. It is also washable and obviously can be made out of any pattern of fabric you want. (Who doesn’t like Buffalo plaid? okay I am sure there are people). I have about 50 of these and wore them during the initial part of the pandemic while I worked in a mental health clinic 8 hours a day. Before I encountered my last option, it would have been my recommendation for the mask that offers the most protection and caused the least amount of irritation and anxiety. The one problem was that my lipstick smeared and I looked like the lady who cannot put her lipstick on straight.
This mask is from a company called Henry. Henry masks were designed by two African American brothers, Patrick “Fresh” Henry and his brother Chase who designed clothing pre-pandemic but switched gears to help out. I first encountered them on trip to Jamaica in February 2021, well into the heat of the pandemic. The resort we stayed at required masks unless eating or swimming. We met a lovely couple from the East Coast who were teachers and highly recommended them. And I must say they are the best fitting, most comfortable masks I have worn. They also fit securely offering some feelings of safety and effectiveness. I could wear mine 8 hours a day without anxiety or discomfort. They are washable but also disposable after a number of uses. They are a bit pricey coming in at about 17.50 if you buy them from Nordstrom or Amazon online or about 50.00 a month if you do their 4 pack monthly subscription. But if anxiety, comfort, and or style are your concern it is worth it. In addition to their functionality, Henry masks offer lots of fun prints, collaborations, and independent aritists. The one I am wearing in this pic is for women’s history month and features the work of a female artist. Bones they don’t fog glasses either!
While this isn’t an exhaustive list of all the masks available, they are the ones I have found to be the most common and effective for their various purposes. I think the main message here is to allow yourself time to plan for travel and select the mask(s) that work best for you and your particular issues. In addition to selecting the most appropriate mask for you there are a number of other strategies I would recommend to help get you through:
- Take “mask breaks” when possible. If there is time to step outside between legs of your journey or find a safe area with a safe amount of social distance, take your mask off. This may even include the airplane bathroom.
- Add a comforting fragrance like lavender essential oil to your mask to comfort you.
- Stay cool. Sometimes when we are hot we are apt to feel more anxious.
- Bring plenty of activities to keep your mind engaged in something other than focusing on your mask.
- Think about your journey, are you headed some where you are looking forward to? Maybe make a list of all the things you are excited about.
- Remind yourself that wearing a mask protects you and those around you and sometimes difficult things are easier when their purpose is more in our awareness
- Listen to music or watch a funny movie if you can
In addition to those strategies you may also try a calming technique. If you have any type of anxiety you may already have some go to exercises that you like. If not here are a few I recommend for this situation.
- Guided imagery. In these types of exercises you are guided to use your imagination to transport yourself to a place that is much more calming than where you are now. You may want to seek a recording to download on your phone to guide you through this process. In this situation, images that help transport you to an outdoor scene or anything open and unrestricted may be helpful. Dartmouth College Health Service has a great recording of a forest scene on their website for free.
- Mindfulness. Mindfulness involved being in the present moment on purpose without judgement. While this may seem counterintuitive to being less anxious, sometimes being aware of our WHOLE present experience can help us identify parts of that experience that aren’t painful or that the experience of wearing the mask in this case insn’t our whole experience. The University of California San Diego Mindfulness Center has a number of great recordings.
- Progressive Muscle Relaxation. When we are stuck on a plane, we really cannot get up and walk around often. We can however flex our muscles in a way to calm our body and allow us to relieve tension. Dartmouth College Health Service also offers a good recording for this.
Hopefully, some of these suggestions will help you to navigate wearing masks and anxiety so that you can get back to travel and connecting with the world and people that you love.
May your journey be filled with adventure and love!