As of the 25th of March 2020, it's been 60 days since the judiciary hammer extended by the government's arm crashed right down to declare a nationwide lockdown. From that time forward, life has moved at a pallbearer's pace. Some can't wait to travel out again, and some don't need to, happy to remain home connected to the skin world only through their computer. While this lockdown and social distancing are taking a severe toll on our mental health. The risk of infection, fear of becoming sick, or losing loved ones, as well as the prospect of economic hardship, has become the foremost cause of psychological stress and disorder. Which incorporates stress, low mood, anxiety, anger, insomnia, irritability, depression, and emotional exhaustion. Although many people are happy wearing pajamas during work, many of them are facing several issues as well
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1. A recent survey has shown that 61% of Indians are suffering from mental health problems during this lockdown. In a study "Rebooting 2020: A Story of Covid-19, and Shifting Perceptions" by The Mavericks India. It was observed that millennials and Gen-Z had been impacted the most, with 27 percent of Gen-Z and 19 percent of millennials. Whereas baby boomers are the least effected or perhaps they were ready to handle a crisis like this. Indian Psychiatric Society
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2. Staying safe online – Due to lockdown, India has seen a 37 percent increase in cyberattacks, in the first quarter of 2020, as compared to the fourth quarter of last year. It is essential to be aware of your IT security. Kaspersky Security Network(KSN) reported that its product detected and blocked 52,820,874 local cyber threats, in India between January and March this year
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3. Loneliness – A new survey has found, due to home quarantine and several phases of lockdown, more and more people are feeling anxious, lonely, and disconnected. A study across 60 cities found that 21 percent feel helpless, 19 percent felt confused and scared. Thirteen percent felt alone, and 10 percent were anxious.
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4. Unemployment – Many companies are removing excess workforce. Uber recently fired over 3,500 employees in a 3-minute Zoom call. The unemployment rate has been one of the most significant issues faced by people amid lockdown. Not having enough money for food, daily wage workers are the worst hit. According to a survey by the Center for Monitoring Indian Economy Pvt, India's unemployment rate could have climbed to more than 20% as the economy lost jobs. India recorded a jobless rate of 23.4 percent In April first week, on a sample size of 10 k observations.
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5. Reduced Salaries – Those who are not fired, have seen a drop in their salaries. A report by HT's Hindi language publication shows that over 80 percent of people have witnessed a dip in their earnings.
For all of its disadvantages, this lockdown is something of a double-edged sword. Viewing it from a brand-new perspective, the saying, "When we can't go Outside, Let's go inside," is most appropriate to explain this situation. This LOCKDOWN period could be an excellent opportunity for us to do deep Soul Searching within and unlock our potential from inside. One can use this time for Meditation, Yoga, Prayer, inner contemplation, and realization for which we never had any time before. This is the period to attach with one's inner self and find inner peace and calm. The desperate attempts to crumble the sentiments of isolation ignite the spirit of innovation amongst people. What seems to be not such progressive time gives births to the best progressive measures and results in creative breakthroughs! We can be utilizing this time to upgrade our skills or learn new ones. For the things, we predict we cannot do, happen to be there within us right along, and this is the time we can turn them from dormant to active by merely working on them.
Usually, we people used to take our closest relationships for granted, just because of their nondemanding nature. But this lockdown time helps us view our relationships differently. We are learning the Importance of attention, each unique relationship deserves, and at the identical time to patiently invest in such relations. This, in turn, creates the sweetness of understanding and acceptance and, therefore, the wisdom of learning not to sabotage the integrity of such relationships because of outside influences, whether monitory or social or any other. By locking us within the confines of our homes with a palpable sense of fear and isolation, Mother Earth has unquestionably answered, who is the boss here? With the worldwide COVID-19 lockdown, the Mother Earth is blooming again with reducing the pollution levels, clearer rivers, and the bluest sky ever. Not in our wildest imagination, we could have dared to observe the Himalayas from Jalandhar? It's a reality now. For the people that never had the time to note the marvels of nature, are celebrating its delicate beauty by appreciating, taking pictures, observing the colors of life, spending time under the open sky, honoring its presence, and by merely enjoying its fell. Does this not show that what appears to be trajectory at first is largely another pathway to learning and wisdom?
This coronavirus breakout has indeed taught us some valuable lessons. The entire world has changed so suddenly before us that we all should begin our post Lockdown lives with a brandnew norm. The Pandemic has taught us Patience, the Importance of basic hygiene, and the need to live within our limited resources. The Human Spirit to fight is indomitable.