We need strong mental toughness to fight this pandemic

Women used to work; then they were barred

They once could use their money the way they wanted; then their financial independence was taken away

They once used to wear skirts and shorts; then they were made to wear only robes

They once could socialize, meet & party with anyone they wanted; then their movements were restricted and controlled

They once had a family; then it was taken away from them and they were made to become part of a household where their job was to produce an offspring.

This is the storyline of a gripping novel I read recently (name &author being withheld on purpose to avoid spoilers for future readers). If I would have read this literary classic any other time, I would have just reserved it as one of the best books I have read; however, reading it now, in the midst of a pandemic, has brought a whole new meaning to the storyline. Even after weeks of finishing it, I still can’t get over it.

In the book, these change of events that a protagonist goes through is in the backdrop of a war, and I can only commend on the brilliance of the author’s research & imagination when she wrote it three decades back.

We are at a war too currently, a war with the coronavirus.

Our lives have changed. The new normal is different than what it used to be. So many families have broken-either financially, emotionally or even physically. We used to party and socialize, make plans at the drop of a hat and now planning for the next week is also a challenge. We don’t know what else are we going to see- how many waves are going to flow us in their tides, how much more adjustment of our minds and physical spaces do we need to do. It’s all unpredictable- Being in this situation is new for all of us. We weren’t taught how to handle stress, pain and manage suffering of this magnitude around us. We have been coping, taking each day as it comes. Not knowing what new is going to hit us. Just being thankful to Almighty for giving us the energy to go through this.

That’s what the protagonist of this novel does- hangs on every day because she wishes to meet her lost daughter one day, because she wants to know if her husband survived, because she imagines a normal life.

And that’s what I guess we should do too.

The pandemic has taught me a lot of lessons – the biggest among them is to be grateful for people in our life. No matter the differences that we have with them, the differing viewpoints that we may share, the arguments we may have, the irritation we may sense – we just need to be thankful for the moments we have spent with them.

Make memories, lots of them- inside house or outside. Click pictures, celebrate days, laugh, share your feelings, talk it out- the people who are around you need this as much as you do. We need to help each other to cope with this distress & pain- and one of the best ways of doing this is to speak with them. Talk to people you love, because that’s a magical thing that’s still with us.

I say again- We weren’t taught to fight a pandemic; We are learning each day.

As much as our body needs to be prepared to fight a virus, our mind needs to get strengthened too- to be able to manage what we may see; to be able to accept what it could be; to be able to wish & dream for a free world again.

We can’t let this virus grind us down

I’ll not tell you what happens with the protagonist for obvious reasons. But what I would want to definitely tell all of you is that while the life may be completely unpredictable right now, and our tomorrow may be completely different than what our wildest of imagination could ever fathom, however what’s in our control is our mind. Its power is unimaginable and across all major milestones of historic relevance, the one thing that has stood out clearly is the power of mind. It’s not rocket science, it’s really as simple as figuring out how my next 24 hours should look like. How can I make my life and the lives of my loved ones a happy and safe one for the next few hours. Start it small, start it simple and you would see the benefits of this in your life.

I am not a guru or a preacher, just an avid reader who has read the impact of such simple mind techniques on humans and how it has helped them traverse through tough times.

I’ll help you in the next few posts with stories (historical/of famous people) on how a strong mind can achieve anything. Stay tuned!

Photo by Sandy Millar on Unsplash