Let's Stay Emotionally Strong

Let's stay emotionally strong and fight Covid together ..!!

Dear people,

Every one of us, irrespective of the nation and irrespective of religion, across the globe is going through the tough phase in our lives and this condition is even worse than poverty.

Yes, you heard it right. Most of us in our lives would have a fair idea of what poverty is and would have faced it in our lives at some point or the other in some form or the other. Poverty is fairly related to money. So, if we cut down our luxuries or basic essentials, we can still survive and stay strong emotionally.

But whatever we are going through right now, is worse than poverty because no matter whether you are poor or rich, the emotional stress which we are undergoing through right now is beyond words and indescribable. Though the poor are the worse hit in the current situation.

You must be wondering what am I trying to say?

Sure, I am coming to that point anyway.

I am also a normal ordinary human being like every one of us. As I love to write, I thought of writing something about the current situation.

I have been working in the IT industry for almost 9 years, though I have been through a lot of stress in my work all these years, it was never equal to whatever I have been going through for the past 2 or 3 weeks because of Covid 19 pandemic. I'm sure every one of you agree with me on this note and must be going through similar stress.

Though most of us have been given work from home option in the current situation, it is still very difficult because our emotional strength is being reduced day by day.

I will give my own example, I along with my husband have been completely at home from the last 2 weeks. I only had to send my husband to get the necessary vegetables and dairy products once a week. Ideally, we used to get drinking water cans from outside but now they are also stopped, no milk suppliers are able to supply anything because everyone is afraid to step out of their homes because of Corona spread.

For last 2 days, I have completely stopped my husband from stepping out, as the number of cases are growing day by day. Though we are facing trouble with few basic things, we are still managing. Luckily my neighbor has drinking water purifier, so for time being, they were generous enough to give us drinking water till the situation gets better for us, to get home delivery or for us to step out.

I'm sure, many of you might also be facing similar problems and more than the food supplies, we are emotionally being impacted to a greater extent because we are living in high uncertainty. Whatsapp or telegram or any other messengers are completely filled with mixed information, some of them might be true while most of them might be just rumors. We are in a situation where we are not even sure what to believe or what not to believe. Because of all these things, our anxiety levels are being increased day by day.

People who have small kids and elder people with other medical conditions might be even more worried because these age groups are dangerously affected in case if something bad happens.

I know it's easy to say but difficult to implement but we all need to stay strong mentally and emotionally at this hour. Our mind needs to be in the right space otherwise we might go mad or worse, we might get something or the other because of the anxiety that is being built and not because of Corona.

Let's take whatever precautions we need to and refrain from going out unless it's a complete emergency. Even if it's emergency, make sure you follow all the precautions. Because of your negligence in any slightest manner, might put you and your family in complete danger and harm the surrounding society.

Follow the news in proper channels, get to know what's happening around you and stay safe, be more careful. Let's not get worried all the time thinking about this, because trust me, that will make us completely weak. I know that feeling. 4 or 5 weeks ago, my husband had to to go for Goa on some office work, God only knows how much I was worried until he was back and safe. At that time it was not even this dangerous but still, I went through a lot of panic and anxiety.

One more thing is, please don't step out unless it's a complete emergency. Try to manage food with whatever you have. This is not the time for luxurious wishes. I am a tea lover, I need to have it twice in a day to get my mind running but now due to the current situation, I asked my husband not to go out. Though he was saying that he would go and get them safe, I am unable to send him because of fear. Though I might get a headache or something without tea, I thought I would give a try on black tea that would not require milk. Here the point is not about milk. It's about what you feel or decide to be absolutely essential in the current situation. I have just quoted my example. For few, this may be something else, they might have some food habits which they are used to but if that is not available and if that's something you can avoid or find some other alternative that's available at home, please do that.

All these things I am just trying to explain my life examples and situations, just to try and convey that please take this quarantine very seriously and avoid going out if it's not for complete necessity.

Though I am not much into politics or never followed anything said by anyone, recently Modi Ji's statement really grabbed my attention. "Social distancing does not mean emotional distancing". This might not be the exact statement by him but that was what it conveyed. Though your parents or closer family, friends and relatives might be far away. Please talk to them frequently. Get to know their well being and let them know that you are doing fine. If they are living in remote areas, please educate them more. They may be thinking that they might be safe, as no foreigners will go to the villages but we know better. Prevention is always better than reacting late.

Try to distract your mind by doing work, try to involve in office work or spend some time thinking about other things than Corona. All we can do is to take serious precautions and stay safe. To get over the anxiety, it's only in our hands. What I do is during weekdays I am engaging myself with work. Though I got work from home option only a week ago, so I actually work for some time and in between, I need to cook and some cleaning chores and I love to read and I try to write something whenever I get some random thoughts. I speak to my family and I talk to my husband in between our breaks, he is also working from home for the past 2 weeks. In a similar way, every one of you might have some or the other interesting hobbies, let's use them to positively distract ourselves from Corona anxiety.

Also if you are having a maid who is not completely staying with you, if they are coming from outside, its time to stop them. Because we never know where they might be going and whether they might have contacted something bad or not. Please advise them to completely stay at home and not work elsewhere at this point. I had asked my maid not to come until April month-end, until my notice further. I gave her monthly salary for April month as well even when she would not be working because I know that she is the only one supporting her family financially by working as a maid in several houses. I am not saying this to boast about myself. It's the minimal thing we can do to support them because these poor people would be the worse affected. This is their only means of income. So if you can, please support them in tough times.

So, the best thing is to manage all the household chores by ourselves until the situation gets under control. I know it's really difficult to do office work and simultaneously manage household cleaning or cooking activities. But this time is such and we should not take any risks. Also, if you are in a position to donate some money, if you can afford, please do in proper channels as this is the time where all celebrities and higher officials are doing donations in a generous amount for the Nation's welfare, any small contribution from us through proper channel might be of great help to the people who would not be able to afford in case if they are hit worse.

Let's be strong in this tough time. Let's be healthy physically and emotionally, let's pray for everyone's well being and let's stay safe and keep the nation safe.

My sincere request to the editorial panel who review this before publishing is, though I have submitted this as an entry in the contest. My main aim is to make this reach many people. Though we cannot force everyone to read, whoever is interested to read on this platform, please make this content reach to a larger audience. I am not any motivational speaker or something but even if very few people are inspired by even .001 Percent, I will be more than happy. This is such a situation across the globe and we can overcome only if we are emotionally strong together. As always, I thank this platform for giving such an opportunity to write.