Life During A Lockdown: Managing Our Thoughts And Feelings

Can we extend ourselves to be open and flexible and look at a loss as an opportunity, a new beginning in waiting?

At the beginning of the year, COVID-19 was a virus somewhere out there, and we would at best give it half an ear’s attention. And a few weeks later, this virus caused a pandemic, bringing the entire world to a lockdown.

Lack of information available in dealing with the virus, with no cure in sight, has caused confusion and fear in our minds. There have been deaths due to the virus, deaths indirectly linked to the virus.

A little bit of stress is good, making us more cautious. On the other hand, the lockdown has got our lifestyle, including the little things we took for granted, to a rude stop. Right from the daily supply of milk, bread, and vegetables being affected beyond our control. We cannot go where we please and do what we please.

Suddenly we are stuck with a work-from-home routine where weekdays merge into weekends, having to deal with work and domestic pressure while gainfully engaging our children perhaps.

Many are unable to reach their loved ones during the lockdown. Such added stress and anxiety will make our life more miserable, irritable with anger and resentment, and being totally unprepared, we can do nothing to change the circumstance. The confined space and the anxiety can affect our mental health as well. This way of living in itself can reduce our immunity, which is the main measure to protect against COVID.

So, what can we do? Look for the blessings in this haystack. Agreed, this change left us no time to prepare. Is work-from-home not an unusual opportunity for family time, to enjoy this togetherness despite fear and work pressure?

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Less travel stress, more time to chat, to understand and acknowledge the other’s stress and perspective, to engage in fun family games, relaxed meals cooked together, to learn and share home chores, to read a book, or even pick up new skills.

Maybe there is a constant fear of losing the job, the earning resource, lingering in our minds. Would one rather live in fear? Can we extend ourselves to be open and flexible and look at a loss as an opportunity, a new beginning in waiting?

Of course, there will be fear and challenges. Fear of the unknown. But, growth happens by facing challenges. Maybe we will succeed, maybe we will learn from our failure. At the least one has the satisfaction of having tried. A great confidence-building tool.

While life during lockdown is a sudden change thrust upon us, maybe there is a good life lesson to be learned, making us more adept in managing our thoughts and feelings, to handle any such changes with confidence.

Image Credits : Pixabay

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