The COVID-19 pandemic has led to a dramatic loss of human life around the globe and shows an extraordinary challenge to health, food systems, and work. On a larger scale, the plague has devastating upshots to the economy. Millions of people worldwide are at risk of suffering extreme poverty due to loss of employment. The imposition of governmental isolation measures like the quarantine procedures in all countries silenced the world and drastically changed our normal ways. The quarantine, albeit done to avoid rapid infection in the population, had also posed a significant detrimental effect on mental health as human activities had been curtailed. In fact, studies indicate that these confinement measures resulted in high levels of stress and anxiety experienced by people during the isolation period. In some cases, the emotional imbalance can even transition to severe distress. If worst comes to worst, it might ultimately lead to psychological maladies.
Despite having witnessed how debilitating and threatening anxiety can be overwhelming, it is very important that we maintain our grit and fight against this enormous enemy. Being at odds with unpleasant emotions is understandably strife that not everyone can easily defeat. But, this does not mean we cannot win over it. We will have to struggle in order to learn how to arise above our adversary.
At this point in time, it is extremely necessary that we all learn the art of self-compassion. Now is the time to understand and accept ourselves more. We can indulge in self-care by trying to let go of guilt and reward ourselves with everything we need. No one can ever comprehend the complexity of our personality other than ourselves—not our parents or friends or even medical doctors.
With self-compassion, we must refrain from the toxic environment and instead learn personal development. We can start by detoxifying our social media from negative posts and comments and switch to educating ourselves on ways to become more productive by optimizing our social media platform. Social media is such a powerful tool that can change perspective and influence human experience.
Now that we all stay at home, we can develop a repertoire of hobbies or activities that can help us improve in all aspects –may it be physically, emotionally, mentally, and financially. We are given more than ample amount of time to discover talents; to think of ideas in putting up a business; to go back to school and continue our professional development and to help our fellow countrymen in getting through these difficult times.
Some people have discovered their love for painting or writing and started a career while sitting at their balconies. Some very enterprising individuals went on to establish businesses that would cater to people who have been confined at the comforts of their homes and introduced “convenience store”. They offer services like food deliveries, mobile grocery, or pick-up dessert boxes. Others develop a good habit of planting and showcased their green thumbs growing all types of plants in their backyard. Many are working home-based now and trained to develop skillsets that would prove to be applicable in the virtual labor community. Most people, especially the young ones, are also now into vlogging.
All these things are not only informative but at the same time beneficial as they helped each of us grow and develop as a person while at the same time earn some funds to help the family finances. What we don’t actually realize is how these habits and activities we engaged in made us forget about all the anxieties and fears of this pandemic. Contrary to what people thought that this pandemic will be all about negativity, suffering, and hardships, there are many people who found the silver lining and made this whole ordeal a blessing in disguise. Not bad after all.
When the entire pandemic blew out of proportion, people started to feel anxious about what will happen to the human race when the plague will continue and no vaccine was discovered to cure it yet. We can just imagine the gravity of mental anguish that each of us suffered due to the uncertainties clouding our minds. But as we have been educated about the culture of the virus and how we can combat it, we started to think positively and draw away from pessimism. The pre-pandemic and post-pandemic life will never be the same but what is important now is that we make use of what we are able to do to help ourselves. We just have to remember that in the darkest times, there will still be light. Think of transforming crises into opportunities. Nothing is impossible for as long as we pour our mind, heart, and soul into it.