**Abstract**

Under circumstances such as the COVID-19 pandemic, decompression is essential to slowly overcome the lockdown stressors as a transition period between lockdown and resuming work in a manner that is no longer going to be 'business as usual'. Firstly, we examine what is decompression in the context of reducing overwhelming and unwanted pressure emanating from the pandemic. Secondly, we reiterate the objectives and goals of decompression. Thirdly, we list ways in which one can decompress as a suitable way of endowing us with better psychological and much needed emotional support in pandemic times. Finally, the chapter offers guidelines for future research as this aspect has not been researched much and opens up new avenues in the field of psychosocial research in civilian as well as military contexts which brings the need for psychological debriefing to the forefront. The results of psychological disaster research to foresee, reduce and soothe the psychological effects of mass disasters – in this case, the global COVID-19 pandemic, maybe reconstructive.

**Keywords:** decompression, post-traumatic growth, pandemic, reconstruction, third-location decompression

### **1. Introduction**

"Decompression fosters a means of progressively adjusting to a new normal, by allowing us to take a step back and reflect on the recent past before we leap ahead into unchartered waters of the future." - Lt Col Dr Samir Rawat

Life is tough at Siachen glacier, in the Himalayas, India, the highest altitude battle zone in the world. A vast land spread over approximately 75 km, the glacier is deadly, because of sub-zero temperatures, frequent avalanches, high-altitude weather uncertainties, crevasses which go unnoticed, almost unimaginable and scary conditions for even soldiers to be. Soldiers deployed at the glacier typically spend three to four months in extreme conditions, highly vulnerable to fatal high altitude ailments like frost bites, chill blains and hypothermia. When soldiers return from active service in operational zones, they may find it difficult to immediately adapt to what seems to be a new reality now, they need some 'time-off' to adjust and acclimatize to out-of-operations

conditions. Military psychologists [1], recommend a period of decompression- a release from compression, for soldiers returning from operational duties.

Given the adversity, the globe experienced in 2020, a global crisis of COVID-19 which ravaged the world order, destroyed poor and developed economies alike, exerted immense pressure on the mental health of people across the globe and pushed a whole civilization into nothing less than a warlike zone. The battle was with an unknown enemy- a virus that caught nations, societies and communities off-guard and thrust them into battle of survival. Traditional systems of social support, interpersonal relationships, easy access to resources became, which served as buffer to problems earlier, were challenged with most nations calling for lockdowns and social distancing as immediate strategies to curb the spread of the virus. This period has resulted in people losing control over their actions and emotions because of the suddenness and magnitude of change that the pandemic has brought in. Now, though the battle against the virus is far from over, we must move forward to normalcy, roll up our sleeves and put together strategies to bounce back- be adaptively resilient. Nearly a year long lockdown has exhausted our mental capacities, has been additionally difficult due to multiple roles that some of us are expected to take on, has changed how we approach life in general. For economies, global markets and multi-national organization, it has been a tough time and getting back to relative state of normalcy is a task that requires planning and organisation. Just as soldiers, when returning from the operational duties are allowed a period of decompression, a populace that has been wrecked by the pandemic be allowed a period of decompression.
