Covid comes home

So, how does one deal with this feeling of impending doom?

With every passing week, Covid comes closer and closer home. First, it was colleagues who were testing positive. Next I heard of some close friends getting infected. Then, there was news of my neighbors falling ill. And now Corona has struck within my own family. 

My cousin and her husband, both doctors, tested positive — even after they had received both doses of the vaccine — though, thankfully, their symptoms are mild. Another cousin contracted Corona as well, along with members of her extended joint family, including her infant son. And as I write this, my aunt — who is in her 80s and bedridden — is showing symptoms though her test results are not in as yet.

I am, of course, far from unique in this. Sadly, this is the situation in every second family, as Covid cases increase exponentially across the country. In fact, such is the prevalence of infection that it seems as if it is only a matter of time before Corona invades our bodies as well. As a consequence, a sense of weary inevitability has overtaken us all, bringing with it both depression and dejection in equal measure. 

So, how does one deal with this feeling of impending doom? How does one cope with rising anxiety levels? And how best to rise above the general mood of pessimism and strive for a little cheer in these testing times?

Well, the first thing to do is stop doom scrolling. I know, I know, I am a fine one to talk given how much time I spend on Twitter, though I justify it on the grounds that I am retweeting and amplifying Covid-related requests. But too much bad news, consumed all day, can bring down anybody’s spirits. So, it might make sense to switch off every couple of hours and do something to destress — read a book, listen to music, cook a meal, whatever works for you. 

It is a given that during times like these, your worries will tend to overwhelm you. But instead of trying to shove them away — a futile effort, at the best of times — embrace them and channel them into some positive activity. If you are worried about the health of your near and dear ones, and are too far away to look after them yourself, try and make their lives a little easier, say by organizing delivery of home-cooked meals for them. Do your bit for the community by collating information about hospitals and medicines and making it available to all. It’s not much, I accept, but every little bit helps.

If your health permits, then volunteer to help out those Covid patients in your neighborhood who are isolating alone at home and have no one to look after them. Assist them with getting medicines and groceries, set up a rota so that they have home-cooked meals three times a day, and keep their spirits up with regular phone or video calls. If working on your own seems daunting, then join an organization that is helping out, using whatever skill set you possess. If your neighborhood gurudwara is making meals for Covid patients, for instance, sign up for a couple of shifts in the langar kitchen. 

Do your bit to combat Covid disinformation in your Whatsapp groups or family circles. If you encounter vaccine hesitancy then do your best to dispel it. Do this with sensitivity and love, because everybody is scared and hurting right now. 

But in all this, don’t ignore your own physical and mental health. If the lockdown is keeping you home, get an hour of exercise in, even if it is just walking on your terrace or doing a spot if yoga or Pilates on your drawing room floor. Try and eat healthy as far as you can, but don’t beat yourself up if you cheat with some fries or ice cream once in a while. 

The key lies in finding pleasure in small things. It could be an old book, in whose pages who can rediscover happier times. It could be in a glass of wine, that helps you decompress after a hard day. Or it could be in a new Netflix show, that helps you forget your everyday cares for a while. 

Just do whatever works for you. And in time, this too shall pass.