The Covid19 pandemic has brought an unprecedented number of challenges and affected our daily lives in a way that no one ever imagined.
Working from home, staying out of school, not meeting friends and so on — even the most basic of human interaction seems illegal as governments around the world implement social distancing as the way forward after a lockdown in several countries in an attempt to curb the novel virus.
The world has basically been on a 2 month long vacation; a vacation being something we desire all year long and being asked to stay home and not come in to work or be at school would have been the best news ever under normal circumstances.
For instance; think about your boss telling you that you can do all your work at the convenience of your own house or your school announcing an early summer vacation. Both things would have been a blessing otherwise but not while the world is going through a pandemic and all sorts of uncertainties are building up around you.
Closed businesses, travel restrictions, grounded flights, cinemas, malls and cafes — everything was shut down. The pandemic and the following lockdown have brought challenges that no one was prepared for. It is not just the underdeveloped or developing countries that are struggling to make it out of these testing times but also the most powerful states are now forced to rethink everything from economics to social norms.
The world after the coronavirus will be different from the world we lived in before and it’s solely on us how we take this crisis and turn it into an opportunity to restart our lives differently and for the better.
The New Normal
All of us will have adapt to a new lifestyle while medical experts look for a vaccine, which may not be ready till the end of the year therefore it is for each and every individual to adapt to the guidelines not only their own health but also for those around them.
Growing up we had had all heard horrid stories of the time when various infectious diseases decimated societies around the world, the coronavirus has hit the world like no other. The Spanish Flu of 1918 that killed as many as 50 million people and infected more than 500 million people around the world is known as the deadliest pandemic in modern history. The pandemic had hit the European countries shortly after the World War 1 and hammered an already dwindling health system as the disease spread through cities and villages.
Similar to our current state, the immediate response to the influenza pandemic was also to avoid social contact and wear face masks which eventually became the way of life for a long time until things started going back to normal and cases of the flu dropped.
However, while stories of how people made it through previous pandemics sound strange to us today we may have been in a better position to come back stronger even after our lives have literally been at a standstill but that can only happen if we accept the new norm — that after the lockdowns end and we step out into the world once again, we should accept the reality that we are not back into the world we left in March 2020 but today we start living under the new normal.
Social distancing
Social distancing would be the way forward but what does that mean for us humans who are constantly surrounded by people, how can we distance ourselves from our loved ones. Social distancing doesn’t exactly mean that you can no longer meet your friends or family, it only asks you to restrict some social interactions such as shaking hands, hugging and any action that may transmit the virus to a person.
Shaking hands of course being the most basic of greetings will be something difficult to let go of, even as children we are taught to shake hands as a sign of being polite and respectful but now it’s the time to readapt. A simple wave or even an elbow handshake will replace the traditional handshake for some time.
Similarly, another major safety measure is wearing masks and gloves each time you head out. A mask may get irritating at times but this momentarily inconvenience can actually save a lot of people from contracting the disease.
It comes as no surprise that several businesses have already taken a big hit and many of the richest people in the world have already reported losses worth hundreds of millions within only a few months of the lockdown. But while there are businesses that dived, the technology sector witnessed an unprecedented growth as our laptop screens became our new work station and the term ‘Work from Home’ became a new reality.
Video calling applications like Skype and Zoom have seen rocketing profits as a massive number of people downloaded the software globally. The applications have been used not only for office meetings and work but also for education purposes.
The culture of working from home might also be continued after the lockdown is lifted as companies have started implementing the following for some of their employees. Another post lockdown plan includes alternate workdays for the employees while even universities have announced to opt for online classes for their upcoming academic year.
Mental Health
Humans are known as social animals. We have an inbred urge of surrounding ourselves with people as we crave attention and human interaction.
The months-long lockdown has already started to take a toll on our mental health. The uncertainty and the massive influx of information regarding developments in the global outbreak are causing depression and anxiety among people including teenagers, adults and the elderly.
News of people not being able to be around their loved ones when they pass away or even be present for their burial have spread like a melancholic wave over the world and the constant fear of death has been magnified. During such unprecedented times it is important to not only take of our physical health but also keep yourself mentally positive.
Some of the simpler ways to do that is to just pick up the phone and talk to friend, a loved one or anyone, this will make you feel connected to those around you as you share your fears, stories and coping mechanism with them and vice versa. It is always nice to share your feelings with others particularly in a time of such global distress.
Similarly, finding an activity to keep your mind of the negative thoughts is also a good idea. This doesn’t mean that you must see yourself being obligated into being productive as it is absolutely fine to stay in bed all day and do nothing as long as that helps you cope.
Watch a Netflix series, learn a new recipe, make dalgona coffee or even go live on your Instagram — it is not how you keep yourself mentally healthy but what’s important is that you are staying optimistic and finding joy even in times like these.
Although, lockdowns around the world are being lifted gradually and life seems to be coming back to normal but it should be known by now that life will never be what it was before the coronavirus. We will now be living our lives under the ‘New Normal’.
