At the start of this year 2021, a lot of people had planned exciting places to visit, weddings to attend, concerts, sports and even family reunions. Following the unexpected Corona pandemic, a good number of these people have lost a significant sum on the events they have pre-booked for the year. Some couples will not experience the big wedding they have always dreamt because of fear of putting their guest at risking of the virus. All of this and many more negative events happening now is making many feel frustrated.
Some are waking up every day to constant fearful thoughts. ‘’What if my husband who is currently working in the health sector gets infected and brings it home’’. Pregnant and severely sick people are concerned ‘’what if I mistakenly pick up this virus in my current state?’’
Family members who have loved ones in the hospital have been restricted from seeing them. Perhaps this sick people in the hospital have been drawing emotional strength from having their loved ones visit and spending time with them. I can’t imagine the level of loneliness they will feel. The family will continuously have their mind and thought on them, thus experiencing restlessness from their end.
The thought of ‘’what if…’’ clouds the mind of many; ‘’What if I get laid off after this crisis’’, ‘’what if the crisis doesn’t end anytime soon?’’. ‘’There is no definite prediction now, what if my friend or family member who contacted it dies’’. Fear of the unknown becomes a significant issue.
All these negative emotions begin to wear people out and put them in constant fear. Fear itself is not bad, but when intense fear persists over a long period, it becomes a significant health problem. Someone recently said that fear of Coronavirus could kill more people than the illness.
People are becoming hypersensitive to the slightest symptoms they notice in their body. A one-off cough or sneezing starts to make them worried and overly stressed as to whether they have picked up the virus. Experts predict more risk for people suffering from suicidal ideation, post-traumatic stress symptoms, more feeling of boredom and restlessness as people’s routine and busyness is disrupted.

What can you do to manage your emotional wellbeing?

Accept that we live in an uncertain world

The first place you need to start from is adjusting your state of mind. You will need to remind yourself of the reality that life is unpredictable. Whatever is happening now has happened some time ago in the past (May not be Coronavirus but different disease). If it has been before there is a possibility it will happen again. What is happening right now is not the first pandemic and certainly will not be the last. The world ones dealt with a previous case of Spanish flu which infected over 500 million people; Cholera took millions of lives, same as Smallpox and black death. The same way the world managed the past pandemic and overcame it, Coronavirus will also be overcome.
The ancient book reads ‘’ A horse is prepared for the day of battle, but victory comes from the lord’’ This shows the limitation of man. The reality is, we can make our plans for the nearest future, but we are not guaranteed whether those plans would take place or not. To fully enjoy life and achieve a positive all-round emotional wellbeing, you must live life with an open mind. As the song by Doris Day goes:
‘’… whatever will be will.
The future, not ours to see.
Que sera, sera.
What will be will be‘’

Guard your mind
Someone ones wrote, ‘’whatever you feed grows. Are you feeding your fear or your faith?’’. In a time like this, there is a lot of negative and fear-driven information going on online. The news has never been so scary as it been the past days. My WhatsApp is continuously bombarded with videos and opinions of people regarding what’s going on. I decided to filter the things read, watch and listen. Perhaps consider watching the news in the evening rather than first thing in the morning so that any negative energy you pick from it does not affect your day. Also, mind the people you spend time with on the phone. Avoid those phone calls that always live you in fear. Bear in mind too, that there are people out there who are maximizing this period to sell more fear so they can make sales of their product and service.

Feed on positivity
I have shut myself from fearful videos and messages going around. In place of those, I am doing more meditations and affirmations. I start my day reading and reflecting on the ancient writings of the bible in Psalm 91. At night before bed, I read a different chapter too, and I say a bit of prayer. In between the day, I make sure to read books that are encouraging and full of life. Spending time laughing with friends and family online Is excellent too. In doing so, you will be encouraging them to stay healthy and positive also. Get a good laugh and have a good long chat. All of this helps you feel better.
Finally, do your due diligence by following the directives given. Wash your hands, sanitize and avoid touching your face. As you do all of this, also believe that life is working for you not against you. This too will pass, and you and your loved ones will be fine.