The start of the millennium brought about much-unexpected change to daily living. Think 9/11 in 2001, the HIV/Aids epidemic in the early ’00s, the gay rights movement, the controversy relating to government surveillance in 2013 and last, but certainly not least, the Coronavirus pandemic this year.
Since the day that these events occurred our lives have never been the same again! Two hours before the Twin Towers came down no one (bar the perpetrators) imagined that the almighty US of A was about to become victim to the biggest terrorist attack in history. Nobody ever thought it was possible! But in minutes, out of nowhere, the Towers disintegrated and disappeared, taking thousands of human lives with.
As with the Twin Towers, no one would have guessed a few months ago that three months into the new decade the world as we knew it would change – possibly forever. No one dreamed that the globe would come to a complete standstill and that the world’s people would be forced into isolation, barred from leaving their homes in the wake of an unknown, frightening and at times lethal virus.
Eight months ago soap was just something you used to wash your hands quickly, sanitiser was mostly used by visitors and staff at hospital ICUs, shaking hands was seen as good manners and contact meetings and physical school attendance was simply the way things were done. In fact, for most of us, online meetings were never really a viable option then. We knew they existed, we knew we had access to the Apps, but most of us were not attuned to how they worked and weren’t too concerned about finding out either.
And what does this all tell us? It says that life is unpredictable and just when we think we have it all figured out …. BOOM! …. the universe throws us a curveball. And we are left to pick up the pieces and learn how to deal with it.
Today we are dealing with a global pandemic. Pandemic!!! What a scary word. And the situation is just frightening. The Coronavirus has literally taken over our lives and it’s anybody’s guess how long it’s going to be here for. Worse yet is that as long as it does it will remain a threat to our health, wealth and wellbeing. However, if anything, humans have shown through the millennia, centuries and decades that we are a resilient bunch. And COVID-19 may indeed make us wobble for a while, but we will overcome!
But while we are on this unknown trajectory, it is very natural to feel down and out. Being locked up with some of the freedoms we took for granted since the day of our birth taken away can turn us into miserable people. But getting angry with your spouse, your kids, even the next-door neighbor isn’t going to help! Remember, they are just as miserable and angry as you. We can keep throwing our toys out the cart, keep kicking brick walls, keep moaning and complaining – but it will all be for nothing. The truth is that we are all afraid of the same things. We are all afraid of losing what we once took for granted, we are scared of never bouncing back and most of all we are all petrified of failing to keep our families safe. So what is the solution? How do we keep sane in an insane world?
Here are some tips that are known to work. Give them a try and it might just make life at the moment a little easier.