Life before Coronavirus was hectic, with constant pressure to chase goals and seek gratification in every aspect of our life. Everyone’s days were somewhat naturally structured to get things done, move forward, and, more importantly, make progress—progress towards sometimes elusive goals. Whether one's goals were to get a promotion, increase sales, or learn a language, it was all structured towards constant movement. The pace at which we lived our lives was overwhelming.
Enter Coronavirus. It shut down economies, forced people to shelter in place, and introduced isolation globally. As a result, many businesses worldwide have allowed their employees to work from home except frontline workers. Commutes have become a thing of the past for many. Extracurricular activities like going to the gym, socializing with friends, restaurants, clubs, libraries, and classes have all come to a screeching halt. Free time has taken on a whole new meaning. However, is this time truly free as people try to cope with life's chores, trials, and tribulations while under lockdown? This is especially true for working mothers trying to balance their roles as professionals, mothers, and now teachers to their kids. All this while trying to manage a household without other conveniences that one used to take for granted. This is a perfect reminder of a mothers' nobility in nurturing their loved ones through good times and challenging times.
The Importance of Reflection
Coronavirus has forced us to pause and evaluate our state of being and what is truly important in life. It has shaken up our lives, nudging us to take a step back and view our lifestyle from different perspectives. Before the virus struck the world, the speed at which we lived, our lives grew incrementally over the years. It was a slow change that we barely noticed. One study from the University of Hertfordshire, in collaboration with the British Council, found that between 1995 and 2005, pedestrians increased their walking speed by ten percent in 34 cities across the globe. The urgency in movement unknowingly increased along with the rate at which we lived our lives.
In the wake of Coronavirus, Rakesh Sarna says more and more people, across all walks of life, are reflecting and trying to learn from this new uninvited reality of Coronavirus. We all know that relaxing and unwinding often leads to creative solutions in the workplace and personal life. Reflecting, making time to enjoy your favorite activities undoubtedly helps relax and increase productivity levels in life. This technique has long been known to psychologists and some of the best thinkers. Why, then, are we so focused on scheduling every moment of our days?
There should be time structured for working towards goals and important achievements in both professional and personal spheres. Yet, taking time to unwind, process, and evaluate is the much-needed fuel to come up with the right answers. “My time” allows one to process the events of your daily life and the feelings associated with them. This builds self-esteem and inner strength and prepares one for sudden changes such as the ones brought on by Coronavirus.
While Coronavirus has genuinely shaken the foundation of progress, productivity, and efficiency, many of us have restructured our lives. It could yet be worse. It has forced us to view our lives objectively and evaluate our priorities as professionals and towards our friends and families. When our lives return to what we know to be normal, perhaps we will have learned valuable lessons about the benefits of dealing with such an unprecedented crisis.
Rakesh Sarna reminds us that we are being tested for how we face and handle adversity. We need to be calm. We need to be strong. We need to stay positive. Our families, our precious children, our colleagues, our neighbors are watching us and even looking up to us. We must hunt for and find the tiniest ray of sunshine and hope and continuously remind ourselves how fortunate we are—how much worse things could be. Lastly, all of us need to be deeply empathetic at a time like this and help the less fortunate. And, we must never stop counting our blessings.
