These aren’t easy times, that’s for sure. If we just look at the countries around us, all we we’ll see is sadness, uncertainty and death. It’s very not the easiest thing to say “it will be okay!”, but fret not, history challenged humanity in the past and guess what, humanity always won.
In moments like these it’s imperative that we listen to what the experts are saying and obey their instructions. Stay inside and avoid any unnecessary outings. If you have to leave your home please keep distance from each other and for the love of God, don’t shake hands with anyone! Most importantly, whether you’re home or not, wash your hands.
Recently, on social media, we’ve been coming across people saying that they’re bored and don’t know what to do while in self imposed, or in some cases mandatory quarantine. Honestly I don’t blame them that much. Being stuck in one place when we’ve grown so accustomed to going out every day is not easy. We as humans are social animals, we don’t like to be stuck indoors for a long while. We love to communicate, socialise, to meet people and to laugh. If you take away these things, we’ll not be happy at all.
However, this is the first time in history when we can help humanity by doing nothing! Is it really that difficult to enjoy your family’s company for a few days? To chill in front of the TV and catch up on your favourite TV series? To read that book that we’ve been putting away? To eat a delicious home cooked meal twice a day?
How many times in the last few years have we met someone and the conversation went like this;
Me: Hey friend how are you?
Friend: I’m good mate, very busy. You?
Me: Yeah I’m good, very busy as well!
Friend: That’s good! Nice to see you. Bye!
Me: Bye!
Since when is “busy” a positive state of mood or well being? We’ve been busy for many days, weeks or possibly years. It is time to calm down, wind down a bit and capture your state of mind in a way to nurture your energy. Don’t worry about it, before we know it we will be back in the busy routine. So now it’s time to take advantage of this horrible situation in order to “un-busy” ourselves, focus on our families, focus on what fuels our souls and charge our batteries.
We’re so used of living life at 100 miles an hour that when life forces us to slow down, we panic!
Humans are strange creatures. There are days when we’re so busy from one meeting to another and from our outing to the other that we’ll give anything to spend a night in with our partners to watch a movie and enjoy some “us” time. Yet when we’re provided with enough “us” time to last us for a few years, we want to do other things and go out etc. Yes we’re strange creatures, we know that. We always want that thing that we can’t do. Tell someone that he can have any thing he wants in life apart from eating a banana and I bet that he will crave bananas even if he normally doesn’t like them! We’re now in a similar situation. We’re being asked to do nothing, to stay home and spend quality time with our loved ones and all we’re craving is to go out.
This is normal of course. It’s what makes us human. Before we know it this is going to pass. Once it does, we will be able to go to that coffee shop on the way to work and have a coffee while chatting with random people, we will be able to go out for lunch during lunch hour and have a laugh with our colleagues. We will be able to go for a pint after work to wind down the day and we will be able to go our for a meal with our loved ones at one of the many amazing restaurants we have on this island. We will celebrate birthdays, achievements, anniversary, engagements, weddings, village feasts, Christmas, sport victories and all the other things we love doing as people.
It will be okay! WE will be okay! One day very soon things will get back to normal. However for now, please be safe. Please stay indoors and spend quality time with your loved ones. Let’s trust the medical experts in what they’re doing and in the meantime follow their instructions.
It’s going to be ok!