There is no denying that now that the second wave of the Covid-19 is here. The statistics of the new Covid cases are soaring every day with recording breaking numbers every other week. In April 2021, India recorded one of the highest single-day cases, which stood at an eye-opening 400000. It is more like a race now to see if the present-day cases have gone higher than the previous day’s statistics. A lot contributes to the rise in numbers; from not following COVID-19 safety protocols to plain right living in denial. This is not the right time to be living thinking this will not happen to me. Even if you follow all the safety precautions, we are living in a scary situation where other peoples’ carelessness is enough to affect us. We can always keep ignoring reality, but it is impossible to ignore the consequences of ignoring reality.
The rise of the cases was rocketing and it came as a surprise to a lot of us. We thought we were unscathed by the first wave of COVID-19 and many chose to let their guards down. With the recent rollout of Covid-19 vaccines, there was no reason for the public to be worried. Therefore, we showed a lot of negligence and a lot less compliance with safety protocols. The sudden change in the scenario has forced us to follow curfews and lockdown rules.
These sudden changes take a major toll on our mental health as we can’t know when we will be hit by the virus. The intensity of who already suffers There is a lot of uncertainty, fear, and confusion. One thing we can be sure however is we are responsible for our health. We are in this together and by being mindful and aware of the gravity of the situation, we can win this fight. Confining ourselves in our homes is a necessity now. We are social beings and confining ourselves in the comfort of our homes for a prolonged period of time may be a mammoth task for us to go through. This is not impossible. There are ways that we can make this situation easier on our mental health. 1. Control the amount of information you consume. Yes, we want to know how many cases are being registered, if there are any new rules imposed, if there are any improvements in anything. We want to be at the top of the news. It is okay to be aware of the situation around us, but let us not saturate our minds with the constant dreaded news about Covid. 2. Learn from the previous mistakes during the first wave.
While the first wave was a novel event in our life, the second wave has made the whole situation a little bit more bearable in terms of surviving a lockdown. Have less worry about the essentials, take time to prepare, plan your lockdown activities properly. As long as you do not go out for unnecessary reasons, wear your masks at all times while you are outside, Sanitize your hands the second you touch something that has been touched by others. It may make you look crazy but it will help. Change your clothes, immediately after coming from outside. We should be better equipped to understand how to sway through the second waves of the coronavirus pandemic from the first lockdowns. 3. Fear will not help.
You can either forget everything and run or face everything and rise from the pandemic. Being afraid of the situation can cause a lot of anxiety and also psychosomatic symptoms of Covid. Thoughts will run frantically in your mind. “Do I have a sore throat?” “Why am I feeling tired?” “Oh no! I coughed 5 times today. Is this Covid?” Constantly thinking about this will cause your mind to think it is real, therefore causing the psychosomatic symptoms. If you need assurance, you can check your temperature. If it is above the normal range, you can always take the appropriate steps needed. Help is out there. 4. Develop new habits and create new activities during the lockdowns. We are social beings and it is detrimental to our being when we have to be caged in the same place for a very long time. However, having something new to do every day. . For example, consider this as your second chance to start those resolutions that you have been putting away since the new year. Be it learning to cook or making your bed every morning. Indulge yourselves in arts and crafts or read a page of a book that you have always wanted to read. Create something new. Create a list of activities that you might want to do and select 1 activity to focus on each week. 5. Stay home! I don’t think I will need to highlight this more. Why stay home? To protect yourselves and others. It is a very vulnerable time and even those who have followed Covid protocols are catching the virus. Stay home as much as possible, and sanitize objects that have come from outside. Sometimes, this can even mean things that you have bought from outside. 6.Keep in touch with your loved ones. While it is important to avoid touch at all costs when outside, it is very important to keep in touch with your loved ones in this critical time. It gives both parties an assurance that both are safe. However, make sure you do not discuss further about the pandemic as it is already the talk everywhere. Keep each other informed about your health, emotions, etc, especially if you live away from family. If you live with family, take this time to bond with them more. Keep your family always aware about safe COVID protocols. I hope all of us stay safe. We have already faced many challenges as a country together and we hope to survive this as well. Stay safe. Be well.
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