BY AISYA KHALIQ
The spread of COVID-19 is making the world change rapidly, without considering geographical boundaries, causing nations everywhere to batten down the entries, implement strict lockdowns and take other extreme measures to control this disease.
Although these precautionary measures are necessary – this global pandemic needs to be taken more seriously. They’re hardly the things which people with anxiety are going to accept easily. Continuous discussions and constant media coverage with dreadful reports of increasing death counts, infection rates and strict policies regarding funerals is giving a tough time to even those who, usually don’t worry much, wonder if everything will ever be back on track again.
Anxiety may treat different minds differently but is real, and far more common than many of us think. In 2016, a research declared that 6% people in the UK are suffering from generalized anxiety disorder, and one in every four people experiences a mental health problem, anxiety and depression being the most common. In underdeveloped countries like ours, anxiety and depression are still considered a myth by many, let alone getting it treated.
Since the COVID-19 outbreak has been declared a global pandemic by WHO, many of us, who are not even infected by the virus, have chosen to self-quarantine in our homes for the past four months.
A decision worth the pain of capsizing travel plans, indefinite isolation and strict precautionary measures, yet the never-ending news of panic and unavoidable information overload about scarce resources is a quick recipe to anxiety and depression. These pointers might help us survive increasing negative thoughts about this uncertain time.
1) Rephrase “I am stuck at home” to “I finally got to focus on my family”
As many of us have shifted to work-from-home by our respective organizations, this should be taken as the right time to refocus our attention which was directed towards external factors much more than internal ones. Plan and try to complete the long-avoided tasks, work on your diet plan, reorganize your home or create something you’ve always wanted to. Many people are sharing their DIY (do it yourself) home interior ideas which is a very productive thing and can lead to a more optimistic attitude. Take it as a chance to slow down your normal life and reflect on yourself.
2) Almost-follow your pre-quarantine routine
Sometimes our minds disown a minor change that comes around unexpectedly, and the lockdown has ceased the major portion of our routines so it is normal if many of us are unable to cope up with it as yet.
With most of us working from home now, a lot of our common routines have been thrown out of the window. Sleeping in for extended hours, working in bed and having a frozen pizza at any time might sound tempting in the beginning. But these habits can be terribly detrimental to our health.
Maintaining a resemblance of structure from your pre-quarantine days may help beat this anxiety. For stay-at-home mothers this routine might not be very different; however as you work from home, falling into a more lethargic lifestyle might be tempting, but it may be a source of negative thoughts. Do not fall into a routine where asking “what day is it today” is a norm. Sticking to your normal routine will help you stay active in quarantine and you will be at ease in re-adjusting to the outside world after this pandemic is over.
3) Your mind reflects your home
With all the uncertainties happening outside your home, keep the inside clean and organized. Set up mental zones for different daily activities. For example, do not be too lazy to eat on the kitchen table, or do not allow yourself to work on a sofa, rather work on your desk and do not bring your food to bed. Loosening these boundaries just messes up your routine and the day may seem very long and boring. A cluttered, unorganized and untidy home may make you uneasy at one point in time and will make you feel like running away.
4) Start a new quarantine ritual
The first step towards staying positive is to have something you look forward to. Within this new-found “extra” time in your routines of quarantine days, why not adopt a positive habit to be followed in your life afterwards. Perhaps reading a journal, a book, or to jot down thoughts or plan on something you have never been able to think about before due to a busy schedule may help. Take a walk for an hour or start painting a picture which you can add to, every day.
5) Practise self-care
Do not ignore yourself while staying at home. Not going outside does not mean “ignoring your self-care”. Try to make sure you’re eating properly, you might be doing nothing at all, but you still need vitamins. Give your hair a good oil massage every Sunday, cleanse your face with a toner and apply a mask. Make your body feel at home, when it actually is at home.
Moreover, exercise is great for physical as well as mental wellbeing. Adding a little bit of exercise may increase your wellbeing and reduce the worries.
6) Share your feelings
Do not isolate yourself from friends and family in this era of advanced technology. Say your heart out, talk and engage yourself in regular chats to air your concern and worries. Remember, while it’s a bit of a cliché, we are all in this together. And talking about a problem with people who are closer to heart invites solutions.
7) Be a help
Other than these, you might end up with different ideas of helping other people with their anxieties – and this might be a huge boost to your own confidence and wellbeing. In this situation, we are exploring the unknown together with zero certainty of how things will unfold. It has placed us all in a stand still situation, pausing our lives.
So maybe this period is trying to make us realize that there is no control. For even when we’ve thought to have it, we didn’t. When the countries are fighting to prove their power over others, when the rich ones thought they are more blessed than the poor, when the greed of power and lust for money was ignoring humanity, this pandemic has given us a break to recollect ourselves and realize there is one Supreme power.
If you are a corona-recovered patient and eligible, please donate your plasma and help save others with what you have been blessed with.
A good reminder to surrender to the flow of life. If you are suffering, you may feel better soon, but make sure you feel better inside too with a renewed faith in humanity and being a helping hand to anyone in need.
(Aisha Khaliq is a banker, freelancer and a writer. She has an MS degree in Project Management. She wants to change the biased vision of the society towards minorities, women and transgenders. She can be reached at aisha.khaliq112@gmail.com)
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