On the night of 24th March 2020, the Prime Minister of India, Sri Narendra Modi, announced 21 days of nationwide lockdown as a preventive measure to the SARS Coronavirus pandemic, restricting the movement of 1.3 billion of the Indian population. Little did we know back then that the pandemic would change us completely, for better or worse.
Economies crashed, lockdowns were imposed worldwide, travel was shut down, many people were forced to stay away from families, became unemployed, industries suffered huge financial losses, cases of domestic violence increased, poor became poorer, schools and colleges were closed, examinations got postponed infinitely, farewell and trips were cancelled. Humans became the worst enemy of humans. Healthcare workers were working round the clock to save lives, putting themselves at risk, while many of whom were infected with the virus were suffering through weakness, breathlessness, and fever. Lives were lost, social interaction was restricted to only households, masks became the new accessory and sanitizers became mandatory. Fear, frustration, and uncertainty gripped us all. Needless to say, it was like someone had opened Pandora’s box.
However, just like every cloud has a silver lining, the pandemic also brought some good; less pollution, decreased concerns over ozone depletion, minimal exploitation of resources, virtual reality was embraced, technological advancements and innovations took place, people understood how fragile life can be, new hobbies were explored, focus on self-care and mental health issues increased.
With the new year came a new beginning, bringing a glimmer of hope in the form of vaccines, namely Covishield and Covaxin by Astra-Zeneca and Bharat Biotech respectively. India announced the world’s largest vaccination drive on 16th January 2021 showcasing the world of its capability. But, were we? Cases started reducing, economies started to revive, months of lockdown made people come out of their houses and breathe in the fresh air. Things were finally seeming to get normal. However, who knew this was the silence before the storm. Extreme carelessness on the part of public and government, no timely actions or infrastructure, lack of knowledge about the virus, people in denial over the pandemic, political parties playing the game-blame and fake news circulating on social media handles increasing the vaccination hesitancy were some of the contributing factors in bringing a deadlier and devastating second wave of the mutated virus. Death took more souls this time, children crying in agony, healthcare on the verge of collapsing, oxygen supplies being cut short, increased helplessness and anxiety. However, amidst this chaotic mess, humanity shined. So many helping hands, praying for each other’s well-being, giving strength, doing small acts of kindness, creating awareness, restoring hope that this too shall pass someday.
However, the ongoing pandemic has also been an eye-opener for all of us. Be it in terms of our career, relationships or everyday functioning of life. We have come to learn and unlearn many new things.
Some of them are as follows:
Health is Wealth -
You can have all the riches and money in the world, however, in the absence of good health, one cannot enjoy any of those things. Hence, it is very important to follow a nutritious diet and exercise regime for maintaining good health and well-being.
Importance of Mental Health -
In recent times, with many of the celebrities and other influential personalities coming out and opening up about their mental health has somewhat decreased the taboo surrounding mental disorders. However, still many of us do not bother paying much attention to mental health or are unable to understand the seriousness of the situation. When you are feeling physically unhealthy, without giving a second thought you tend to rush to a hospital or to a medical professional, but in case of feeling mentally disturbed, not too much consideration is given to seeking help, not understanding that a healthy mind equates to healthy living.
Life is what happens to you, while you are busy making other plans-
We all plan our lives way ahead than necessary, trying to control every aspect or outcome in our lives. And when things go a little haywire, we end up getting disappointed or upset not knowing that life is highly uncertain and has many surprises stored for us. Thus, it’s important to take things as and when they come. Even though, plans are what gives structure to our lives, however, it’s important to keep some room open for things to work out differently and embrace those changes.
Meeting new people -
This lockdown period has made me realize to focus on other aspects of my life as well. Often times, we all become so busy with the rat race that we tend to ignore our health, family, friends, love etc; In today’s competitive world, everyone advices to make your career as your priority, saying that you will always have enough time left to enjoy, travel or pursue your hobbies once you are financially settled, but that 'later time' never comes. Therefore, it is
important to understand that don’t wait to start living your life, focus on career, meet your friends, spend time with family, fall in love, travel around the world, learn new things, spend some time pursuing your hobbies, read books, indulge in your guilty - pleasures also at times, because everything is important in life, even if it includes just relaxing on your bed or sofa, with snacks to binge - watch your favorite shows.
Routine is not always boring -
Even though, routine can sometimes become monotonous and frustrating, it does help in avoiding procrastination, better time management and brings clarity in thoughts.
Social media: A boon or bane?
Most of the times, we see articles on how social media is having a bad influence on today’s generation, its impact on youth, increasing cyber-crime etc.; All these are not wrong but, just like the two sides of a coin, social media and other online platforms also have their pros and cons. It has the power to create revolutions, the easiest way of staying in touch with your loved ones, largest accessible source of information. One should just have the awareness to distinguish between bad and good content and consume it accordingly.
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