Many of us are waking up with thoughts of the world falling apart, with most countries all across the globe struggling to control the spread of COVID-19. At a time like this, it is important for us to remember the following words from a popular American nursery rhyme:
“Little drops of water
Little grains of sand,
Make the mighty ocean,
And the beauteous land.
And the little moments,
Humble though they be,
Make the mighty ages
Of eternity.”
At a time when doctors, shopkeepers, security guards, fruitsellers, sanitation workers, government employees are doing their bit, our individual efforts, when combined together, can also do miracles in our efforts to contain this virus. Here’s what you can do, in addition to maintaining social distance, washing hands with soap frequently and wearing masks:
1. Take care of your own emotional and physical wellbeing
Before you decide to look after the person next to you, make sure you are well taken care of yourself. Eat nutritious food, hydrate and stretch your body for at least ten minutes a day. You can also do deep breathing exercises, if not meditate. Get some oxygen to that beautiful brain of yours! Also, do not over work yourself in order to feel productive. Increase your ways of feeling useful, other than bringing in some money to the household. Self care could be the first way, for starters.
2. Spend quality time with family
Find small and unique ways of spending time with your family. Help in meal preparations, clean the house, walk the dogs, read stories to your children, play board games. If you are not on good terms with your family at the moment, that’s okay. Don’t add to the pressure of making amends with them, during the lockdown. Just make sure you avoid fights as much as possible.
3. Take care of the needy
This could include pooling in some money together to feed the homeless on the streets to putting some packets together of dog food to feed the indie dogs on the street, after all the meat shops which used to feed them have almost shut down. Helping someone out will also boost your morale!
4. Spread your art
If you can draw, then spread your work through comics or illustrations about happy little things. If you can play an instrument or sing, then hold live sessions where you perform for anyone who joins. If you can motivate people, do it using Facebook or Instagram. Use Social Media for what it was originally designed for, to connect!
5. Share success stories
Don’t fill your feeds with only cautionary messages. The heart wants some hope too. Pull together some success stories, of people who have recovered, government measures that have been successful, scientific researches that have sprouted! Spread some positivity.
Yes, times like these can be disheartening. But the important thing to remember is that yes, you cannot control external situations as much but you can control how you choose to react to these situations.
