Months ago, none of us had anticipated that we would be stuck in our homes for a period as long as 5 months. This lockdown has made us realise the value of things that we once took for granted. It has emphasised the redundancy of worldly luxuries and highlighted the fact that health precedes everything.
Most importantly, it has taught us that human interaction is an essential component of societal living and needs to be put above everything else. This is precisely what the new “normal” is. The new normal involves us being happy to be alive, to be safe, to value the facilities that are available to us and to be thankful for social interaction.
The COVID-19 pandemic has created an air of negativity all over the globe. It has led to the development of a sense of fear and captivity amongst human beings. In my opinion, it is normal to experience such feelings as long as they do not curb rational and free thinking by holding a firm grip over our thought process.
An idle mind is a devil’s workshop. Hence, it is imperative to keep ourselves engaged. Engagement doesn’t necessarily refer to work. It can refer to having a hearty conversation with our friends or play an online game with them. Venturing out to explore our inner talents and getting involved in new hobbies can be great to keep ourselves busy too. One should try to maintain a healthy balance between virtual and real living.
Considering the amount of time that we are spending online these days, it is essential to take a break once in a while and give our over-exerted minds a rest. Listening to music and playing board games with our families can surely help us achieve this.
It is essential to focus on the positive things around us. The lockdown allowed people to spend time with their families, thus, bringing them closer. Online platforms have led to the development of stronger bonds amongst people by providing a useful mode of communication which today’s youth is actively using to share their thoughts and feelings with their friends during this stressful period. During the lockdown, people ate only home-made meals and realised that home-made treats were not only much healthier and hygienically prepared but also as delectable and enjoyable as dining out.
After a few days of the lockdown being imposed, one could not miss the drop-in air-pollution levels and the much cleaner air that we breathed. The lockdown was an eye-opener for most of us as we realised that simple living without the complexity and wastage of resources is truly satisfying.
Although the pandemic has been extremely long drawn, in some ways it was required to bring people back to their senses, to make them realise that finite resources cannot lead to infinite progress.