A lot of stuff is happening around in our life during this lockdown period. At first, we stayed in our home enjoying the unexpected holidays of our busy schedules of jobs and classes. But later there was this ‘confusion period’. We didn’t know what to do. When will this end? Or perhaps to rephrase the question, ‘Is there an end to this’?
Hang in there. We got this. Together.
Yes. It’s been a while since we felt the normalcy and natural ease of life. And a lot has been happening around since the lockdown started. It is important to take care of our physical health as well as mental health.
It is okay if you failed in doing so. We can overcome this. The key is to make yourself busy. Remember how your life was before the lockdown? You had to get up early in the morning, go to your workplace or your schools and colleges, you had things to do. Lots of work that made your time fly. Now you are feeling this uneasiness and boredom because you have a lot of time in hand and literally got nothing to do. Being more productive is something that you should try. Get in there to cook that dish you saw the other day on YouTube. Go outside (with the mask) for a walk. Try clicking pictures. Write down your thoughts. Get in touch with your loved ones. Make yourselves busy.
Now one important thing that you should remember is to avoid ‘Toxic productivity’. Chances are that you started the lockdown with plans of being so much more productive but in the hustle, you pushed yourself a bit too hard than what you can really do. Toxic productivity is having unrealistic expectations, so much that it harms your health and relationships with people. You become so overwhelmed by feelings that you are unable to work. Don’t envy others' productivity. Do the things that make you happy. In the end, being happy is all that matters.
When you type ‘Mental Health during COVID’ on google, the first post you see is of a public announcement made by Google, which says ‘BE KIND TO YOUR MIND’. In coping up with the struggles in life during the lockdown, we forgot to be kind to ourselves. This is a hard time. We didn’t sign up for this when the year started even though everyone had big plans this year. But remember, this too shall pass. It’s okay.
The new word for the year is ‘social distancing’. It is the physical distancing between one’s self and others in public places, to prevent the spread of coronavirus. And we are practicing it very well. With masks tied up to our faces and following social distance, don’t distance yourself emotionally from others. It is the moral responsibility of everyone to help one another and follow social distancing. It is vital to not have emotional distance with people around us.
During this hard time, we are filled with negativity around us. It is important to be updated about what’s happening, but from time to time remember to give your mind a rest from the COVID 19 news. Let’s not lose hope. Try not to think negatively. Try to reframe this period as a good time to do what you have always wanted to do. Change your schedule because life isn’t the same anymore for anyone. Remember to include an activity that you look forward to in your daily schedule. Take some time and check on your loved ones. We are physically apart and they may be having a hard time dealing with the situation. Think about what you can do to help others. Remember to only distance yourself physically and not emotionally. If you know someone is in need, don’t hesitate to help.
Most importantly, it is okay to be not okay. If it is difficult for you to cope up with everything, it is okay to take professional help. There is no stigma in doing so.
A famous gospel song goes like this, ‘We shall overcome. We shall overcome. We shall overcome, someday. Oh deep in my heart, I do believe, we shall overcome someday’.
That ‘someday’ is coming soon. Hang in their world. We got this.
By: Anjaly Mathew
Cover photo credits: Madison Inouye from Pexels