Lessons in the Time of Corona: Part I

Because let's be honest, the pandemic is taking a toll on our mental health whether we like it or not. 

Most of us imagined that the bushfires in Australia would be the highlight of the disasters that would hit 2020. Boy, were we wrong. More than half of the year has been engulfed by multiple lockdowns that have wreaked havoc on our much anticipated plans for the future as well as the tiniest aspects of ordinary life. We've been shocked, shaken, and so far, survived.

On a personal note, I have had an easier time these past few months because I happen to be quite introverted and the abundance of alone time has been very rewarding. I observed that shaping my new routine with the constraints posed by the pandemic wasn't all that difficult and that it was natural enough to adjust my life according to it. This does not mean that I did not feel a void within me at times and wished to escape these four walls, but I understood first hand that one's personality greatly affects the perception of situations that unfold around us. One man's trash is another man's treasure, and one's prison could well be another's paradise. While none of us can always choose the conditions that we're present in, we can indeed consciously recognise whether our minds flourish or stagnate in them and acclimatise ourselves the best we can, for the sake of our peace of mind. We know what makes us comfortable and productive perfectly well, and the ability to use this knowledge to our advantage has a significant impact on our lives. It's the difference between swimming towards the river and thrashing against the currents.

Another thing that I noticed was the importance of adapting to novel situations that could not have possibility been foreseen. If someone had told me a year ago that I would have online classes for my PG for a semester, that I would stop catching the train twice a day, and would not be in the presence of forty odd people everyday, I would not be in any position to believe them. But c'est la vie. I have personally done my utmost to immerse myself into a flow state (If you're curious, read up Flow by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi) in most activities that I perform on a daily basis so that I could get the maximum experience out of them and to rid myself of distractions. Really, if this pandemic has taught us anything, it's that we should always be prepared for any situation that may present itself by keeping in mind our needs rather than our wants. Some habits are harder to form than others, yes, but you can pull it off if you're determined and smart enough to see them through.

On the eve of this year's World Mental Health Day, let us look inward for a change and remind ourselves that we are capable of steering our lives in whatever direction we deem fit and that the resources we need to do so are never out of reach.

Let your instincts as well as your knowledge you gain outside combine and form the shoes that you deserve and need right now. If life truly is a race, all of us could and should get a kick of those and sprint past this pandemic. Let us strive to learn more about ourselves and the world around us with every passing day and become a little bit wiser over time.