Home is a safe haven
We are six months into the year and in retrospect, we’re by and large proving to be a resilient bunch. Many countries across the world have worked towards balancing the need to allow their citizens to reenter the world of work to save livelihoods while trying to contain the spread of COVID-19 at the same time.
So while the pandemic cripples both economies (and as a result, livelihoods) and lifestyles, remaining calm is the name of the game as is the imperative of staying and working from home as much as possible.
In the words of renowned motivational writer Catherine Pulsifer, “one of the best lessons you can learn in life is to master how to remain calm.”
Yes, these are trying times but it’s important that we stay safe and follow guidelines issued by the authorities – we need to do so not only for ourselves but for those around us as well.
That said, staying indoors can be stressful, and self-isolation could lead to anxiety and even depression in some cases. At the same time, job security is under threat in many parts of the world as businesses are compelled to downsize or even shut down.
As for university students, many may feel that the degrees they’ve been studying for are slipping away from their reach while schoolchildren grapple with learning online sans social interaction.
But as Catherine Pulsifer says, it’s important that we master how to remain calm.
Reading an enthralling book, watching a moving movie, playing virtual games with friends and family or even bingeing on Netflix are some ways to distract yourself.
Perhaps this is a time to work on those recipes you mindlessly watch in the middle of the night or chat with friends online. Meditation and yoga are certainly helpful in practising mindfulness and controlling your emotions
The coronavirus has undoubtedly brought with it a ‘new normal.’ The novelty of working from home (WFH) may entice some of us to consider pursuing it in the longer term while others could well have come to the conclusion that it simply doesn’t work or is unproductive.
Let’s call this a ‘sheltered June’ and hope that the world we live in will be free before long so we can celebrate life as we once did – perhaps with changes for the better from lessons learnt.