Covid-19 has officially started spreading all over the world. WHO declared coronavirus a pandemic. Governments are taking strict lockdown measures. Schools are shutting down, borders are officially closing, people are panicking, and markets are running out of supplies.
And meanwhile, the number just keeps going up. As of today, there are 96,649 active cases and 7, 177 deaths worldwide. But as the situation in China (the main hotspot of the coronavirus outbreak) is slowly, but surely stabilizing, the numbers in Europe and the US are drastically rising by the hour. So far, the most affected countries are Italy, Iran, Span, South Korea, Germany, France, UK, and US.
The truth is, it’s really hard not to panic right now. Especially with all the fake news circling around. We’re all afraid for our loved ones, we’re all doing our best to protect ourselves (I honestly really hope so), but we also have no clue as to how all of this is going to end for us. As I said…It’s a very hard time for the world right now.
But that doesn’t mean that we should make it harder by letting the constant news stories and dark conspiracy theories get inside our heads. Now is not the time to back down. Now, my friends is the time to fight back. With all our power. But to do that, first, we have to change our attitude and reprogram our everyday habits.
Here are some things that we all need to focus in order to stay mindful and most importantly, safe:
1. Take care of your wellbeing. Mind. Body. Spirit. I believe this goes without saying. Taking care of your health in times of a pandemic is not something that concerns only you, but also the entire world around you. That is why this should be the first thing on your priority. Building a strong immune system is not made only through a well-balanced diet, but also through good, quality sleep, regular physical activity, meditation, constant gratefulness, and more importantly, self-love.
So, stop acting tough and take full responsibility for your actions. If you are instructed to stay quarantined, stay quarantined. Use that time to get some rest, work on the project you left behind, cook a healthy dinner for your family, get back to your exercise routine and just be. Oh, and of course. Don’t forget to wash your hands!
2. Be prepared for anything. Right now you have no control over the things that happen out there. The only thing you are powerful to do besides staying home and keeping yourself and others safe is choosing how you’ll respond to any given situation. It is your decision whether you’ll let fear, anxiety, and stress overwhelm you or you’ll focus on finding the positive side of this whole situation. They say desperate times call for desperate measures.
So let’s repeat, shall we? Wash your hands thoroughly after you go to the bathroom, after you come home and after you eat. Make sure to always have a hand sanitizer, a mask, and gloves with you. Avoid social gatherings. Talk to your parents and older relatives about the importance of taking these precautions seriously. If your job allows you to work from home, do that. Search for online courses that can help you with your studies or ask your teachers for online classes. More importantly, don’t panic. All of these disruptions right now cause anxiety and a lot of stress. But we must do our best to overcome those feelings. So, let’s all keep calm and find a way to just move on with our lives.
3. Be careful of what you read and listen online. You choose what you expose yourself to. If you are constantly watching the news, scrolling Facebook, searching for doomsday articles and crying to your friends about how boring your life is, you’ll most likely end up depressed. By choosing to focus on fear, you are putting yourself in a cage. And not only that. The more you let it inside your world, the more power it gains over you and eventually, the easier it gets to control you.
Instead of focusing on fear and anxiety, choose to focus on your hopes. Create your mantra and repeat it a few times a day. And yes… Doing all of this doesn’t mean avoiding information. It just means becoming more selective about what you’re exposing yourself to. Be careful of what you read and listen to. Avoid fake, sensationalist articles and pay attention to the real news that are constantly updated by relevant sites and organizations.
May we all stay safe and find the strength within to keep moving on.
