Greetings my lovely readers and welcome back to my blog đźđť. How are you guys feeling today? We’re all the way in June and we’re still confined. That’s why today I’m going to talk about the impacts of this situation and what I do to stay sane. I hope you’ll enjoy this article. Don’t forget to follow my blog and share this article with your friends and family.
Ps : I’ve been working on 3 articles at the same time which explains my absence on the blog but I’m back. Let’s get to it.
Here in Haiti we have been confined since March 19th. We’re now in June and although we still have positive cases in the country, things are starting to open up again. Often I see people post on their social media questions like “How are you guys feeling? How are you keeping up with this situation? How’s your mental health? Etc⌔ Some people are actually okay and enjoying this break but others are going crazy. I see a lot of people staying positive and saying that mother nature actually needed a break from us humans and that’s why we have this pandemic going on. Others think that it’s the end of the world.
Personally, I’m a homebody which means I love staying home. I don’t really like partying or anything that requires leaving home besides school and church. I saw a quote that said “Being a homebody is one thing but being forced to stay home is another thing”. At first this situation didn’t really affect me but this whole pandemic/quarantine situation has many impacts on us, on our mental health that we might not even realize now.
After a few researches I made regarding this subject, I found the general impacts of the pandemic on us. I asked my friends some questions about it and I have noted the most common effects in no particular orderâŚ.
1. Stress and worry. Personally, I think that this is the number one impact of the pandemic on us. We’re all feeling stressed and we’re constantly somehow worrying about tomorrow. For example, I don’t really go out but once in a while I go grocery shopping because I don’t want my parents to risk their health by going. Whenever that day comes, my stress level increases. Although I’m well protected, I’m super stressed; it’s like I’m actually going to war and might not come back. The stress of going there is one thing but once I’m back, I start worrying about the future, wondering whether I’d caught the virus or not. The next 14 days after, stress and worry become my dearest friends.
2. Anxiety and fear. Being stressed is one thing, being scared is another. I am not the best person to stay calm when something’s happening. I have panic attacks for things as little as final exams. During this quarantine, almost everyday we learn that someone we once knew had died and it triggers our fear. We may not show it but we’re all scared of losing our closed ones in this situation. I am mostly concerned about my parents, aunts and uncles because they are the elders. Older people are also living in fear because they’re known to be the group with the highest risks. On the other side, anxiety and fear regarding diseases tend to lead to acts of discrimination. For example, we see that now in Haiti, people are scared to say that they’ve being tested positive for the coronavirus. If you go to the hospital now for any types of discomfort, you might be rejected because they will think that you have the virus.
3. Depression and loneliness. I live close to my entire family on my dad’s side, so basically I’m never alone. But when I asked around, many people said they’ve experienced loneliness and depression during the quarantine. Which is totally understandable. Some people are used to being out all the time, whether it’s to go to school, to work or to party. They used to be surrounded by people all the time and now they’re stuck home. If you’re in Haiti, you probably don’t have electricity, cellphone companies are in their worse state which explains terrible internet connections, you’re then left with nothing to do. It’s also super hot because summer is here. Over here we have experienced “peyi lòk”, a situation in which we were forced to stay home due to the chaos happening in the streets. I think the “peyi lòk” crisis had somehow prepared us Haitians to the feeling of being confined. Some people said that during “peyi lòk”, it was possible for them to see their friends which is different than now. In other countries where they’re not used to being confined, some people might turn to suicide to “cure” their depression which is actually devastating. Let’s not forget the ones that are in nursing home and cannot receive visits during this time. A friend of mine told me she’s stuck in a foreign country. She was there for a checkup and now she cannot come back. She usually makes clothes and being there without her tools make her feel useless and depressed.
4. Laziness and procrastination. As days go by, we become lazier. I thank God that I was actually done with the semester when the lockdown started. I only had my final exams to take but some of my friends still have online classes until now. I have started taking online classes not related to what I’m actually studying. At first, it was really exciting but now I feel like my mind cannot process anything anymore. Being super bored makes you wanna lay down and not do anything. Our whole body is numb. Anything that we considered fun is now boring and annoying.
PS : As of right now, a lot of people have said that they’re getting used to the situation now and their level of stress has lowered.
What to do ? Two words : Be creative and productive
Ever since this lockdown started, the first thing that I’d said was that now is the time to be productive. I have registered for online classes, workout programs etcâŚ. Here’s the list of things I’ve been doing (besides writing on the blog of course) to cope with the situation.
1. Workout. When it comes to working out, I can be the laziest person on earth. During the first months of the lockdown, I would go for a walk or go jogging sometimes with my dad or my cousins. Everyday around 5 P.M, I’d get dressed and go walk for an hour. Sometimes when I come back, I’d continue with some exercises. At one point, my cousins got tired and stopped going, so I registered for a 30 days workout program. Every morning when I wake up, I do my workout and it really helps loosen up.
2. Cook. I love to cook and bake which is my passion. My mom and I are the only women in the house so we cook everyday and since it’s something I love, it makes me happy. You don’t have to necessarily cook too but do anything that makes you happy.
3. Read. A good friend of mine had sent me a spiritual book and we promised to read it everyday and keep each other accountable of our progress. So basically, I read books mostly related to God to nurture my mind and grow spiritually.
4. Babysit. Like I said earlier, I live with my entire family. My two oldest brothers have kids and whenever I’m bored, I go to their houses or they come to mine and we spend time together. Anything that can get my mind off of the pandemic is welcomed.
5. Learn new things. Last but not least I try to learn new things. I am interested in psychology, therefore I have signed up for classes related to this subject. There are a lot of free classes available online now. If you’re interested in learning how to play an instrument for example, there are multiple videos on YouTube completely free. It’s not too late since we might have a month or two of lockdown coming up.
So at the end of the day, what really matters is not only how this lockdown is affecting us but also what we’re doing to get something good out of it. Some people said that they spend more time reading, praying, getting closer to God; others spend more time doing things they love. Although the situation itself is annoying and depressing, we’re all getting a little moment of happiness from time to time. So keep being productive, spend more time with your family and show love to everyone everydayâ¤.
That is it for today guys! Thank you for reading my blog. I am excited to receive your feedback and suggestions. Special thanks to Sally and to everyone who agreed to answer my questions. Until we meet again, take care of your mental health and be blessed… always!!!Â