Ever since the pandemic hit our country in early March, we have been surrounded by a flood of negative news – news about tragedy, pain & chaos. We have been confined within our matchbox houses for over half a year now, with distress about not being able to lead a ‘normal’ life anymore.
While we are all calling 2020 an ‘unforgiving’ and ‘unforgetful’ year – we, as humans, have unknowingly done what we were always trained to do as a species: Improvise. Adapt. Overcome.
Sure, the pandemic has hit us all, one more than the other, but we have all discovered something new about ourselves – whether it be some skill that we didn’t know we possess or some emotion that we didn’t know how to express.
For example, the lockdown has seen masterchefs arise from every household, language legends learning the art of global communication, and kids learning to code the software of tomorrow – most of us have been exploring our talents, maybe for the sake of passion, or for the sake of killing time – in either case, we have all grown a little bit more each day.
Not only a new skill set, but also finishing off a tasklist long due – starting a new diet, following an exercise routine, cleaning & grooming your surroundings. Unknowingly, we have all started living a little healthier each day.
Social pressures were taken off-guard, with no more wanderlust or FOMO anxiety hitting us constantly. We all started being happier with ourselves, learning to be ‘okay’ to be who we are.
We’ve realized the importance of ‘things’ – we now know the things we ‘needed’ (eg. outside food, a trip every weekend, etc.) were never actually ‘needed’. Instead, we learned to live a simple, homegrown life, happy with the resources we have. What grew in importance was the idea of sharing a moment with your loved one, picking up the phone not to check your Instagram, but to video call a long lost friend. We learned to help out with the dishes, and sit with our siblings.
We learned it’s difficult at the moment, but just like every other moment – this too shall pass.
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While each one of us is facing different concerns during the pandemic, it is our responsibility to make sure we take care of our mental health first, and of the people around us.
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Stay safe. Stay healthy.
About the author:
Rohit Agarwal is a marketing professional striving to change the world through his thoughts, his words, and digital tools. He firmly believes in the concept of ‘Change is the only constant’