After one more year of mere survival, we’ve all found ourselves standing at the pedestal of yet another lockdown. Most of us are still going through feelings of loss, death, loneliness, anxiety, depression, and if that wasn’t enough we have the seasonal winter depression to add to the already inflicted misery. Due to the onslaught of COVID 19, the whole world was forced into lockdown, for many of us, this situation did more harm than keep them protected from the virus as they had their own demons to fight back at home, which they could otherwise avoid by stepping out. Countless people including the essential forces & civilians had to lose their homes, their livelihood, & even their lives. Those who remain are left with the trauma of their pasts, the horrors of the crisis that passed, the ones that stand right outside our doors, and the ones that stay with us wherever we go.
The Impending Doom Behind Every Room
As the number of cases spikes sky-high we are left with the sole choice of locking ourselves behind the doors and living with just ourselves; zoning out from the world, taking work one video call at a time, watching the essential forces head out every day, and staying out every night to make sure that others are safe & protected. While we sit behind our computers, all cosied up in the warmth of our blankets, the same saga will repeat itself all over again. The feeling of helplessness, lethargy, exhaustion, & misery will envelop those who finally had the luxury to be outside of their homes post the previous wave granted to them by the vaccination drives. Once againg, home will be the office, and everyone’s personal battleground, where every morning a new hope will await them and with every night the feeling of loneliness will seep in.
The Light At The End Of The Tunnel
To every cloud there is a silver lining, to darkness there’s light, no matter how dim situations seem to get, one must always remember, that tough times don’t last, tough people do. While dealing with all the negative emotions surrounding you can be difficult and take a huge toll on your mental health, there are still some things that you can do and words you can tell yourself to ease this part of your journey as much as possible, starting with:
You’re enough
Your feelings are entirely valid and true to the core, but you’re also a human. Everything’s going to be okay even if you feel defeated & lost in terms of your life’s growth and your work responsibilities. The whole world is at a stand still, companies have had to shut down, and the overall progress of the entire human race is hampered. It’s okay if you weren’t able to meet the deadline or you missed another meeting, it’ll still be fine if you miss one more. What’s important to know here, that you are important and you are more than just the work you do or how much outcome you can produce in a day. You’re much more than any of that, if you’re making out to the end of the day with a roof over your head and food in your stomach, you’re doing something right in life. Take it by the day or even by the moment as you go, let it sink in, but don’t let it drown you.
My journey doesn’t end here
You’ve come a long way from where you started. Don’t ignore your journey just because you’ve hit a few roadblocks after coming this far. No matter how bleak things may seem, you should know that this is not the end. There’s more to your life than what’s going on around you right now. You have come a long way from the point where your journey started and you still have a long way to go, lots to accomplish, & plenty to grow. Reflect on what was and plan for what will be, and if the present is too overwhelming, take a break, you’ve very well earned it and even if you believe you haven’t, even then take that break. Your mental health and well being should be your number 1 priority!
I am my best friend, not my worst critic
Although, it might feel that criticism works the best everytime and once you go easy about things, you might end up losing complete control over them. That’s not the case everytime, you don’t always have to be harsh with yourself, it might have worked before but, unless you’re kind to yourself you won’t be able to pull yourself through from the toughest of the situations. Criticism is important, but some days when the world seems too harsh, you need to tell yourself that ‘This too shall pass’, order your comfort food, & watch your favourite series or just do something that really makes you happy. Remember, when you fall you don’t push yourself to stick to stick to the floor, you pull yourself up, no matter what.
The road to recovery seems far of, but every journey even if it’s a thousand mile long, begins with one small step. These small steps are there for you to tread lightly in life, be kind & gentle to yourself, & to give yourself time and be as much patient as you can with yourself. As move into this phase, let’s remember to not shut ourselves down during this lockdown. Rather, let’s open up, talk it out, no matter how loud, after all we’re all that we have in this world.
This blog is written by Nikhil Malla.
