"Although the world is full of suffering, it is also full of the overcoming of it" - Helen Keller
I know I speak for many of us when I say that sometimes, it feels as though we're stuck in a loop. It's almost as if we're part of that movie where the protagonist relives the same day over and over and over again.
Covid-19 has robbed many of us of exciting days and motivation and has given us monotony as a substitute. We're at the exact same place we were this time last year: at home. A small walk or run is our only means of escape from not only being locked down, but also locked in, in our homes, routines, and selves.
It feels as though we cannot allow ourselves to become optimistic, because every time we've done so, things got worse instead of better. For the sake of demonstration:
"We're opening the airports again ħi, things must be getting back to normal"
"The vaccine is available, allerwieħ. Cases will drastically decrease for sure"
Instead, it suffices to say that there's grief, sadness, and a certain sense of void hanging around wherever we go. Because Covid-19 has also robbed us of people: people who have passed away, people whom we cannot see because they are vulnerable, and people who have become imprisoned or have lost themselves because of the mental toll the pandemic has had.
This leads to the million-dollar question: will we ever get back to normal?
Personally, I don't believe we will. Experts are saying masks and social distancing will remain in place for years. And with masks and social distancing being the norm for so long, the word "normal" will have acquired a new meaning. Because how does one return to what we used to call normal after spending so long in such a mentally-challenging situation? The pandemic has not only drained us by forcing us to look at a screen all day, but it has also accentuated feelings of guilt, low self-esteem, loneliness, and OCD.
Having said that, in spite of this & however...
...consider that although we've been robbed of many things, with every passing day we are closer to reaching immunity, and not merely Covid-19 immunity. They say what doesn't kill you makes you stronger, so let's work towards reaching that new definition of normal as strong as we can possibly be.
And how can we acquire this strength, you may ask...?
First and foremost, by taking care of our physical health:
Wear a mask
Sanitise
Have daily doses of Vitamin D 🌞
Move your body
Give your eyes regular breaks from the screen
Read our blog post on taking care of your physical health
Mental health is equally important:
List the things that you're grateful for rather than focusing on everything that is going wrong
Remember that it's okay to ask for help
Take regular breaks
Connect with loved ones via calls
Do more of the things that make you happy
Read our blog post on taking care of your mental heath
Maybe the fact that we might not ever be going back to normal is not so bad after all. Maybe the new normal will be better. Maybe we will be stronger and more appreciative of the little things. Who knows what the future holds? But until then, let's work on overcoming the suffering by having a healthy amount of hope and optimism - not too little, and not too much.
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