10 Ways to Cope the COVID-19 Pandemic



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As we all know that lockdown 3.0 is in running and it is in our heads now which is quite normal as our survival instinct is constantly judging our new normal, making us more anxious than ever.

 In such uncertain times, you are more likely to get hit with the terms as unsure future, social distancing, losing jobs, drowning economy, deaths and fear of safety leaves you trapped into the realm of constant worry.

If you are a person, who is more often found staring at the blue screen or always following up the news. Then you are most likely to breakdown first in this uncalled catastrophe.

Most people at this time fall into the pit of cognitive bias and decision paralysis due to over-analyzing of continuously changing world.Your perspective is the most powerful thing you can control in a situation which is beyond your control.

So, here are ten ways to keep your mind off of the archaic of COVID-19.



Acceptance:

This catastrophe appeared suddenly and was uncalled for. Hence, you did not choose to be in it and cannot do more than following the guidelines of staying home. Pretty much basic, right?

But, every individual reacts to every situation in a different manner and there is a huge possibility that you are still in denial about this situation.
Being in a denial state about this, can harm your emotions more than facing this situation and what you should do is, sit with yourself calmly and accept the situation.

Or you can go as per the movie by saying “all izz well”.



Daily Goals:

It is true that the world has changed a little bit than before but dreams have not changed as they can be chased by different way.You can set up various goals for the day, which will engage your brain in the task on hand rather than fumbling with the negativity.

It will boost your confidence and gradually you will see that these daily goals will add up to your dreams in the longer run as only small efforts leads to big changes.

You can do so by making a check list before going to bed a day prior than the present day or waking up on the same day and ticking it when the task gets completed.

Also, if you miss certain tasks or is not able to complete your check list very same day, don’t get disheartened and transfer the task for following day and don’t forget to add some joyful activities in that list. 


      
Learn New Things:

It is the best time to learn new things and develop a new hobby as there are many platforms which are offering free courses right now such as eDX, Coursera, Udemy, Harvard and many more.

You will discover new things about yourself in this learning journey. Like you had always thought about learning guitar but couldn’t do it due to hectic life, well, this is the right time to get your hands on those strings.

Or you wanted to pursue a certain certification course to add it to you resume, this is that time to enhance your resume.


         
Reach Out:

Most of the people are living alone due to their work and is concerned about their family members. Therefore, if you are that person living away or any of your friends is, this is the good time to connect to them and rekindle your bond.

There are also many older people who are living alone and are at high risk, therefore, you can definitely spend some time with them listening to their life stories or by giving them a hand. Getting in touch with them by video calling, will also help you stay connected.



Helping Others:

If you are someone, who love to contribute to society and help people then, this is the time where the world needs you the most.

You can help people by distributing various necessities, especially to them who can’t afford to buy food, masks, medicines and sanitizers. You can also create various awareness drives for your neighborhood by maintaining a safe distance. This will leave you feeling euphoric.



Struggling With Family Members?

Due to lockdown and no social life, you probably have all the time to spend with your loved ones, but it is getting frustrating due to all the wrangling happening all the time.

Then tell your family members about your boundaries and respect theirs. You can always play some fun games by the end of the day to lighten each other’s mood.

Always try to have some ‘me’ time amidst all the chaos so that you can feel connected to yourself at least.



Start Cooking:

You must be craving for a dahi-bhalla or pani puri up till now or maybe craving a sweet-junk but couldn’t get it from outside as it is very risky.

But, you can always cook for yourself, which is safe and engaging. Cooking your favorite dish can release those happy hormones which you were craving for since long time.

Also, there are many lockdown recipes which can be made by using basic ingredients. So, what are you waiting for? Get started!   

                                                                                                                                                                                            
Get Jamming!

If you are a fan of music or noob at it, doesn’t matter!

Start a jam with your buddies or just listen to them with various online video platforms. Even if you don’t have anyone to jam with, you can rely on apps like smule and endless or website such as Jam together online.com, so Happy jamming!



Stream Favorite Shows and Movies:

Everybody has that classic movie list which is still on pending list due to other priorities or catch up on that latest season of money heist! Well, all of this has a positive outcome which is a bit more time for all of us to finish that list. Everyone likes to watch TV shows and movies.

Maybe, next time when you meet your friend, you can ask, “How you doin?”



Meditation:

Any period of crisis make us reflect on ourselves and help us in realizing who we are and who we value the most in our relationships.

Take this time to self reflect on yourself and evaluate whether you are on the right path or not? Whether you are doing something which you always wanted to do or not?You can also make plans for your future goals or maybe switching your career the way you wanted to!

Hence, on a positive note it can turn to be a very good time for all the other things which were not happening as you were busy running, so enjoy it while you can!


Written by - Chavi Goel

Edited by - Adrija Saha