ONE YEAR INTO THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC: HERE’S HOW THE PANDEMIC CHANGED OUR LIVES

By Pearl Sara

BCJ

The past year has transformed nearly every aspect of our world. Our friends, family, colleagues, and communities have changed in critical ways that have long-lasting effects. The effects of covid-19 on young people could prove to be one of its most damaging legacies of all. Schools and colleges have been shut down for almost 2 years now. The students are stranded at home with extremely limited contact with friends and virtually with no physical activity. It’s quite saddening that the young generation does not get to experience the true essence of life.

Firstly I would like to talk about the CONSTRUCTIVE HABITS WE LOST TO THIS PANDEMIC:

● WAKING UP EARLY: Most of us had this good habit of waking up early and going to bed early before the pandemic. Studies show that there has been a steep rise in sleep issues such as difficulty falling asleep, a marked delay in bedtimes, and waking up in the afternoon which resulted in the heaviness of the head during the day, increased lethargy, poor productivity, and a low mood during the lockdown.

● SCHEDULED LIFESTYLE: We had a much more organized lifestyle and work pattern which kept us busy all day and made us productive in one way or another. This has changed in the lockdown. People care less about their unorganized lifestyle now.

● SOCIALISING IN THE RIGHT WAY: Interacting with people is as important as any other activity.” Humans are creatures of habit, so initially, adjusting to isolating at home was incredibly challenging, but now, a year later, we’re accustomed to the new normal,” explained Paraskevi Noulas, PsyD, a psychologist at NYU Langone Health.

● COMPETITIVE MENTALITY: In the case of students, they don’t seem to be quite focused on academic and career goals compared to the life before the pandemic. Studies have found out that the students are not yet fully compatible with the idea of online education. As many as 87.1% of the students said they are not in the mindset to appear for physical or online exams even if the government relaxes the lockdown.

● INVOLVEMENT IN EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES: Extracurricular activities are what bring out the best in us. It could be sports, arts or even hobbies. Before the pandemic, we would engage in some activity or the other to keep us busy and entertained. Hobbies helps us to improve our social skills.

● CLEANLINESS AND PERSONAL HYGIENE: Working and learning from home, shielding, not socializing, or just losing the will to blow-dry appear to have had many of us questioning whether our pre-pandemic personal hygiene and grooming habits were really necessary. And, with routines disrupted, it is perfectly possible to get to the end of the day before wondering if you have brushed your teeth. Or putting off your morning shower until you have done some lunchtime exercise, and then not bothering to do that either. Although, there has been an increased focus on hand sanitizer and wash.

Here are some of the BAD HABITS WE AQUIRED IN THE PAST YEARS:

● LAZINESS: Laziness has become a major problem these days. Although the pace of the world has slowed down due to the COVID-19 pandemic, our quick and constant on-the-go mentality has persisted — some experts say creating a “shame complex” when we decide to be lazy. Laziness is often tied to a negative connotation, linked to a lack of motivation or productivity. Likewise, procrastination has become a major side effect of the pandemic.

● TOO MUCH SCREENTIME: With social distancing limiting our ability to connect and interact, daily screen time has seen a jump. And even before the COVID-19 global pandemic, there were concerns about what screen time is doing to our health. Both adults and children are experiencing an increase in screen time. The bigger problem lies in screens replacing positive activities like exercise, socializing, and sleep.

● MISMANAGEMENT OF TIME: Having no classroom space to go to, no face-to-face lecture meetings, no lively discussions about a class project with course-mates, the typical day looks rather bleak, and for many students, productivity might drop to an all-time low .With the line between academic, professional, and personal spaces blurring, many are finding it difficult to juggle deadlines, homeschooling, online lectures, household chores, and attending to family. The lockdown has changed our very bodily rhythms, right down to our dietary patterns. As we juggle between work and domestic chores, for example, breakfast could become brunch and lunch an afternoon snack.

● SELF-CENTERED ATTITUDE: It is true that self-love is very important but not being able to socialize with people has doubtlessly made us a little selfish.

● MESSED UP SLEEP PATTERNS: There is a common association between anxiety and sleep disturbances. Uncertainty about the future is a recurring theme he is seeing right now. People are worried about their job security, their savings, their loved ones in different cities. And then there are people who are ‘hooked’ to COVID-19 news alerts — the constant stream of statistics. At the other end of the irregular sleep spectrum are those of us who are oversleeping.

We should actually be focused on the GOOD HABITS WE CAN DEVELOP amidst the current situation:

● SPENDING QUALITY TIME WITH FAMILY ESPECIALLY WITH GRANDPARENTS: It is always advisable to spend more time with family members especially grandparents. Spending time with grandparents fosters intergenerational family connections. This opens the door for grandparents and grandchildren to learn about maintaining healthy and safe relationships with people who differ greatly in age. Many lessons can be learned along the way of forging this special relationship. Having grandparents nearby can help ease the burden of child-caring and overall stress. And for the grandchildren, research has shown kids who get to spend a lot of time with grandma and grandpa tend to have fewer emotional and behavioral problems.

● DEVELOPING PERSONAL SKILLS: Trying out new things seemed to have a more beneficial effect on our mental health. Learning new skill shifts the focus away from any anxiety you might have. Taking up a hobby or learning a new skill is a way of managing mental health while isolating. Creative hobbies and learning new skills can help by distracting people from their worries; it can help them come to terms with or reappraise things and get a new perspective; plus it can really boost confidence and self-esteem.

● DEVELOPING READING HABIT: One of the basic reasons why reading is important is that it helps you grow mentally, emotionally, and psychologically. Every book provides you an opportunity to learn and explore new ideas. Reading increases your knowledge and makes you smarter. With multiple digital reading platforms offering short bytes of quick reads, and distractions galore, the reading habit, in-depth, long-form reading, remains under a cloud. This is also a cause of concern to parents and teachers. The benefits of reading can’t be over-emphasized, especially at this time when the outside world can come to us via the written word.

● HEALTH AND FITNESS: While on lockdown, physical activity needs to be maintained as it is extremely beneficial to the body and mind. It is important for controlling diabetes and high blood pressure. Maintaining bone strength and muscle tone through exercise is important especially as the regular outdoor activity is curtailed during the COVID -19 pandemic. Exercise also helps boost immunity, reduces the risk of mental health issues like depression. You can walk for short periods such as 10 minutes at a time, or practice yoga routines or interval training, depending on your age, pre-existing health conditions, and doctor’s advice.

● OBSERVING AND LEARNING THINGS FROM NATURE: Being in nature, or even viewing scenes of nature, reduces anger, fear, and stress and increases pleasant feelings. Exposure to nature not only makes you feel better emotionally, but it also contributes to your physical wellbeing, reducing blood pressure, heart rate, muscle tension, and the production of stress hormones. It teaches a lot of things to all of us. It keeps on working and remains calm and composed. So it teaches us to be quiet and still.

● POSITIVE MINDSET: Positive thinking has lots of benefits such as increased life span, lower rates of depression, lower levels of distress, better psychological and physical well-being, better coping skills during hardships and times of stress. It’s essential to maintain a positive attitude, focusing on the here and now, and what motivates you to keep moving forward in your day-to-day life.

Do not let negativity take control of you. In times of constant negative messaging, you need an antidote so that you can keep your positive attitude and march forward with determination and hope. Be deliberate in activities that are positive, heartwarming, stress-reducing and laughter-inducing! Together, we’ll get through this.