We know now that because of the COVID-19 virus we have to stay indoors alone or with our family. Neither of them it is easy because it changes our daily routines and sense of normality.
I would like to think about using this time to self-reflect and be aware. Self-reflection is important because most of us are sitting indoors for 24hours a day and therefore this is a time to think about the future and think about the world today.
I want to share with you my decision to be positive. In the past I’ve been a person with a lot of negativity, but I now use self-reflection as a tool to know the following about myself:
· What I aspire to have and what I want to achieve
· What my values and principles are
· What will help me become stronger
You may think, well that’s easier said than done! But just because we are living through a crisis does not mean that we must be pessimistic or give up. I put my hands up and give my respect to the work of the scientists, the medical workers and volunteers that are putting themselves at risk to save lives, which I think is amazing. Our work is to stay brave and have solidarity with others. This is a time for altruism where we think about others as well as ourselves.
Self-awareness is also referred to as “me, myself and I”, it’s something that is individual, it’s personal and it will give you the strength to move on in difficult situations. Given the circumstances, now is really a time to learn to manage self-awareness, which can also be taught to others (such as children in your family that are at an age to understand). If you can manage self-awareness that is really half the battle.
If you live as a couple, usually you would go out in the day to work or do daily jobs and activities, you come home tired, have dinner, and go to bed. But now you have to share your space 24/7! Which isn’t easy, even with somebody you love. So you will need to adapt to support each other and bear with each other. If you live in a family there are often children around which is definitely a challenge, to find new activities to do together, to give everyone space. Everyone is different and approaches things differently, however from my experience finding the balance between activities and space is really important.
For me, creative writing and reflecting is something that keeps my mind active. Thinking ahead and at what is coming, the goal is to maintain a positive mental attitude. If I can help just one person develop a more positive mindset in a difficult time, I would be so happy.
The arrival of spring refreshed the trees with green leaves and the birds were singing, but the atmosphere was still so sad. Seeing people queuing outside food stores and empty shelves by 10am. This showed the distress of a community and I do not pretend that there is nothing to fear. But I want us to be able to see ahead because this surely cannot last forever. To help see ahead I believe that it is vital to:
· Cultivate self-awareness to restate your values and principles
· Evaluate criticisms of yourself and others
· Reflect on the toughest periods in history and how communities prevailed
· See a future and plan ahead for the weeks to come
· Develop and maintain a positive mental attitude by keeping active
These are the things that are important to me and are going to help me most throughout this period.