Thursday 13 May 2021 81% anxious over lifting of lockdown restrictions and return to normal life
Top 10 social situations we fear the most revealed
Millions of Brits suffering from new phenomenon of post-lockdown anxiety
81% are daunted by the return to normality and resuming work and social lives
Top 10 social situations we are dreading include returning to the office, visiting the in-laws and dating in the real world
Being able to wear what we want, slower pace of everyday life, and time spent as a family unit are what we will miss most from lockdown
In response to the findings, TV Channel Dave have partnered with CALM (Campaign Against Living Miserably) and created conversational cue cards to aid social situations during Mental Health Awareness Week
Comics from the channel including Darren Harriott, Stevie Martin, Ahir Shah, Ania Magliano and Seann Walsh have also created self-help style videos about returning to normality
IMAGES AVAILABLE TO DOWNLOAD HERE: https://www.flickr.com/gp/taylorherringpr/rs49iP
VIDEOS LINK HERE: https://youtu.be/HxrQtath1cI
Four-in-five (81%) of British adults are feeling socially apprehensive as lockdown ends according to a new study released today.
The nations social worry is set to peak this week and next, as we can start seeing people inside, stay over at friends and families houses, go to restaurants and pubs properly and meet up in large groups outside.
The research, commissioned by UKTVs leading comedy entertainment channel Dave, reveals that many of us are exhibiting symptoms of post lockdown anxiety as we become increasingly apprehensive about re-entering real life social situations following a year spent confined and communicating via phones and screens.
Over three-quarters (76%) of Brits admit to being nervous about interacting with people in real life once lockdown ends. Our nerves are further accentuated by the prospect of attending larger social and sporting events, with all restrictions being fully eased in just over a months time
The study pinpoints the ten social situations that are giving rise to the most anxiety and has led a series of self-help style videos from some of Daves comedy friends to help people reintegrate into society which leverage humour to get the message across.
Top social situations Brits are dreading:
Greeting etiquette (wave? shake hands? elbow bump?) - 44%
Going to a party of more than six people - 32%
Interaction with staff and fellow diners in restaurants - 28%
Work meetings and presentations in real life (and not via a screen) - 26%
Trying clothes on in a shop - 25%
Going back to the dentist - 24%
Long overdue visit with the in-laws - 23%
Mixing with randomers at a festival or a gig - 20%
Making small talk with a hairdresser - 19%
Dating... in person! - 16%
Sheer uncertainty as to how to greet people in person topped the list following a year of family zooms and work teams calls, closely followed by partying with more than six people and how we interact with staff and fellow diners when enjoying a meal out. Tellingly, almost two-thirds (65%) of us admit that we are going to miss having the mute button in real life situations.
The study also shows at least half (51%) of us plan on adding some embellishments to our stories when asked so what have you been up to? to try and make our past year seem more interesting.
Were also set to struggle to know what to talk about, with well over four-in-ten (42%) of us not knowing what to say each other when meeting in-person. Shockingly, almost half of us (47%) wont know what to say to extended family after over a year of not seeing them properly.
In true British fashion, three-quarters (76%) of us admit that we will revert to talking about the weather if were unsure what to say when were back out in social situations.
In response, Dave has teamed up with suicide prevention charity Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM) and a host of comedians to create five witty video tutorials giving top tips for how to successfully navigate these social interactions without trepidation.
The videos, which feature Darren Harriott; Stevie Martin, Ania Magliano, Ahir Shah, and Seann Walsh deal with everything from work meetings in person; to remembering how to dance in public; to tips on how to quietly leave a social situation without being noticed.
The short films form part of Dave and CALMs reintegration guide for people that are worried about having to interact with other humans after a year of screen time. The guide also includes a unique set of conversational cue cards, which give tips on conversation starters in real life, and are deigned to help break the ice as we emerge from lockdown.
Top Tips from the videos include: Pub etiquette, how to adapt back to the commute and how to talk to strangers
Furthermore, the research also revealed the things we really enjoyed about lockdown, further emphasising how we may struggle with life returning to normality.
Weve loved being able to wear what we want at home, with no worries about dressing up for social occasions. Additionally, Brits have savoured the slower pace of everyday life at home, along with being able to save money and spending time alone as a family unit.
In fact a whopping two-thirds (67%) of Brits have found themselves at times grateful for not having to see friends or family.
Top best things about lockdown:
Being able to wear whatever you want at home and for work - 35%
Slower pace of everyday life - 33%
Saving money - 32%
Time spent alone as a family unit - 32%
Working from home - 25%
Taking up new hobbies - 21%
Discovering more about ones local area via daily walks - 20%
Not having to make small talk with people throughout the day - 20%
Improving cookery skills - 16%
Being able to mute irritating people on video calls - 14%
The conversational cue cards will also cover the best thi
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
07/10/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, today announced the latest Long-Term Supported (LTS) release of Dalet Flex. Build...
06/09/2026
June 9 2026, 23:00 (PDT) Dolby and MagentaTV Bring Fans Closer to the FIFA Worl...
04/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
23/07/2026
Download Now!
To receive a short case study showcasing Vivid Broadcast's audio setup, please enter the following details:
--
First Name* First Name ...
23/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
23/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
23/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
23/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
23/07/2026
Witbe brings its AI-native testing and monitoring infrastructure to Amsterdam: demonstrations on real devices, a peer-reviewed technical paper in the conference...
23/07/2026
Quickplay, Caretta Research, Evergent, and Yospace have announced that the renowned IBC Pride Happy Hour will once again bring the vibe and fun back to IBC on F...
23/07/2026
At IBC2026, Interra Systems will present this year's focus: operational AI at scale for QC, monitoring, and captioning workflows. The industry has moved pas...
23/07/2026
Illusionfx is finally coming!
Alex Perea July 23, 2026
0 Comments
The new website is now live to mark the occasion.
Since the last update, feedback h...
23/07/2026
Evergent (5.A86) will showcase its Agentic Revenue Orchestration Platform for streaming services, sports leagues, pay-TV operators at IBC2026 (RAI Amsterdam, 11...
23/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
23/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
23/07/2026
David Dvir, 2D founder (left), Sundeep Reddy (center), and Jean-Marc Bouchut (right), both of Zeiss...
23/07/2026
Screen Australia announces new national documentary accelerator program 23 July 2026
Screen Australia has today announced the Above the Line Documentary Accel...
23/07/2026
RT Commercial has today announced Centra as the official food partner once again of The Traitors Ireland, coming to RT One and RT Player later this year.
Ce...
23/07/2026
RT Commercial today announced Honda as sponsor of Today with David McCullagh RT Radio 1, weekdays 9am 11am.
Broadcasting directly after Morning Ireland in ...
23/07/2026
RT News is pleased to announce Barry Gallagher has been assigned as the new journalist covering news from Cork, Kerry and the wider Southern region
Working al...
23/07/2026
Lock in and load up the cloud. GFN Thursday brings fresh updates and new adventu...
22/07/2026
Among other tweaks to coverage, the broadcaster added announce positions in the ...
22/07/2026
The Australian Sports Technologies Network (ASTN) has reported a sharp acceleration in Australia's sportstech sector, with revenue growth rising from 10% in...
22/07/2026
From a retrofitted broadcast bus to packed Match Day Live! events, Bennett detai...
22/07/2026
TMRW Sports has named Brendan Donohue as President, Flag Football, where he will lead the company's professional flag football business in partnership with ...
22/07/2026
Stephen Arnold Music (SAM) designed and produced soundtracks for nine projection...
22/07/2026
Harmonic has announced a $25,000 donation to Global Empowerment Mission (GEM) fo...
22/07/2026
Telemundo has announced it has acquired from UC3 exclusive U.S. Spanish-language...
22/07/2026
The Rest Is Football, hosted by Gary Lineker, Alan Shearer, and Micah Richards, ...
22/07/2026
Sports Studio has announced a partnership with TheSoul Group to distribute Free ...
22/07/2026
Daktronics has concluded its 2026 High School Video Summit, a two-day hybrid event combining virtual sessions with hands-on host school visits across the countr...
22/07/2026
FOR-A America will exhibit at the MMCA Show in Pensacola, Florida (July 21-24), marking the company's first appearance at the house of worship AV event. FOR...
22/07/2026
The New York Yankees have selected Lumen Technologies (NYSE: LUMN) to connect Ya...
22/07/2026
Calrec will exhibit at IBC 2026 (Stand 8.C47) with demonstrations of its IP-native audio ecosystem built around the Argo console range, and will announce two ne...
22/07/2026
Solid State Logic has announced the appointment of Algam EKO as its distributor for SSL large format consoles in Italy, covering the Live, Broadcast, and Studio...
22/07/2026
FloSports has announced the launch of the FloSports Channel, a free ad-supported streaming channel premiering on Prime Video in the U.S. on July 21. The channel...
22/07/2026
Banana Ball TV (BTV), the broadcast operation of the Savannah Bananas, has insta...
22/07/2026
SiriusXM and Audacy have announced an agreement bringing 42 Audacy sports, news, and talk stations from 29 U.S. markets to SiriusXM. Twenty-three Audacy sports ...
22/07/2026
The collaboration produced more than 500 short-form videos across four cities th...
22/07/2026
At 2,600 sq. ft., the new home of digital content houses a main studio, podcast space, and an auxiliary control room
NFL franchises are accelerating their prod...
22/07/2026
Library now available in Engine Player
Another of Eduardo Tarilonte's popular sample libraries has just been moved over to Engine Audio's Engine Pla...
22/07/2026
All-in-one mic & DSP interface overhauled
Cloudvocal have just refreshed the design of their all-in-one mic, audio interface and DSP processor, introducing ...
22/07/2026
The final boss of the lost dual-op-amp circuit
Electro-Harmonix have just introduced the Deluxe Big Muff Pi 2, which they say offers their latest take on t...
22/07/2026
eds3_5_jq(document).ready(function($) { $(#eds_sliderM519).chameleonSlider_2_1({ content_source:......
22/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
22/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
22/07/2026
Proven managed IP solution helps broadcasters confidently navigate the future of broadcast distribution
LTN announces it has completed successful satellite-to-...
22/07/2026
Today, Chaos announced V-Ray 7, update 4, eliminating the need for asset conversions and tool switching, which slow down media and entertainment pipelines. Arti...
Thursday 13 May 2021 81% anxious over lifting of lockdown restrictions and return to normal life
