Keeping Alive: Surviving the emptiness of the pandemic by reinventing, positive vibes and developing engagements

All forms of media and entertainment have been invaded for the greater cause of the COVID-19. It is highly acceptable when you come to think of it being ‘the global pandemic’. But this has surely taken a toll on the mental health of people.

My sister, who generally works from home the entire day, says, “I don’t know why do I have so much time to ponder upon all the negativities of my life in due time, although the only thing changed is my work space.” Well it is indeed true because we have surely made it to thinking about all forms of past negativities and issues, which more than anything haunts the time around us.

The most important things for this time would be to maintain positive energy around and to take up some form of engagements or hobbies in order to not only preoccupy our minds but also make sure that things go a smooth path in the future. Feeling low is normal, should not be hyped. But neither should it be internalized, to think that feeling low might be an everyday issue, or it looks cool. Because we tend to forget what pain may feel like for others.

Ways of Connecting to the Positive Vibes

When you think it in this way, positive vibes are sort of a priority that everybody should be subjected to in their days. Because there is always a certain way you have thought about life, your feelings, your emotions, and the most basic thing you would want is to try to stick to it as far as possible. That’s why you can never be exempted from your part of positive vibes. Take a break. Reconnect.

• Take a Break

The most basic thing would be to take a break from what you might be doing. Stop working. Get out of your rooms. Observe what might be going on in the other parts of the house. You might catch sight of something out of the box, like something to cook, or some dishes to do. Believe me, sounds mundane, but doing something out f the normal will always make you feel like reconnecting.

• Vent

You are beautiful than you know,

You are stronger than you know

You are braver than you know.

You might really want to vent out things. You might be fierce and talented, but you might be tired too. So the really close people of you might ask you to vent it all out. Write down things that you feel for yourself. Understand what your real lows are. Let it out. And once you have vented it out, make sure you don’t take time to think about them again. Rethinking is the mother of reinvention.

• Be Grateful

There are some people who definitely are seeing the real lows of life, not in their personal arena, but in their overall living. Make sure you are kind to them. Acts of kindness will always let your mind bloom in some happier ways. Try to appreciate other people when you see them. Casual ‘hi’s’ and ‘hello’s’ always help. You will sooner or later escape your comfort zone and will realize they are so many stories hiding behind people, all need liberation like you. Gratitude gives all of the wings.

• Love is not the only resort

Being lonely is not easy. It is never easy. But once you have grooved in being alone, you might see that you might not actually feel the absence of someone as much. Love is indeed a great thing; we have always over-hyped the concept of being in love and feeling the love, that more than celebrating the feeling, we celebrate an illusion where we connect love to happiness. Here’s the thing: Love is not the only resort. Things will happen when they need to. Right now, enjoy the hot mess you are, reconnect to the independence and freedom of being you, of not giving up the small things that make you.    

• Give Time

Time is always a great healer. So give things some time they will start shelving themselves. Do not rush the feelings; neither mope about the absence of things. Just let it be. Do not make it illusory, neither let it be so real that it starts filling up your voids. Just give it some time. Give time for good things to happen. Give time for yourself to make choices, and respect your choices whatever they are. Do not ever resort to people who might not respect your choices or might give you fundas to improve upon them.

• Developing Hobbies

The world is not your competition right now, therefore whatever you take make sure you take it out of sheer interest and not what the world wants from you. Do not pressurize yourself into developing a hobby either pressurize yourself for excelling in it. Whatever may be other’s pastime is just engagement for you. Your hobby should make you feel good about yourself. It should be a thing you would want to look forward to, not dread.

• Reading

Reading is kind of one of the greatest hobbies. You get to know so many different things around you, and actually delving into stories is kind of something that will make you reconnect to the world on a greater scale.

• Cooking

Maria Goretti says, “There is nothing great a stress buster for me than chopping fresh tomatoes, or shopping for veggies.” The love of food emanates from the heart, and what maybe more refreshing is reorganising food.

• Music

Music relieves you, it actually defines the mood alteration. Here are some of my suggestion for the time – Alan Walker’s ‘All Falls Down’, Billie Ellish’ ‘When the Party’s Over’, Tove Lo’s ‘Habits’, One Republic’s ‘I Lives’. You will realize there is something similar in all of these songs.

You may take up a musical instrument too for the time, try to learn them; at least the basics.

• Gardening

You know all these forms of hobbies are intuitive works. It means they are not passive hard work, they are active forms of work. So is gardening, where you might invest some part of your active brains and energy into making a small garden. Make a kitchen garden instead, plants like chilies, coriander, and mint grow amazingly fast and fresh. 

• Yoga/Meditation

This is another form of intuitive hard work, which is like something that will help you center your thought, emotions, and feelings on one side of the coin. This is important so that one would not concentrate on the negativities too often. This is the union of mind and body.