Coronavirus Courage

We find ourselves in interesting times. The other day I saw a meme about people being stuck indoors that made me laugh hard. I then read a headline about the increasing coronavirus death toll and how a healthy 13-year-old child had just died from the virus. I wanted to cry.

It’s safe to say that we’re all facing a rollercoaster of emotions right now. Uncertainty hangs in the air and we are all dealing with a level of disruption to everyday existence that can’t be ignored. I mean, when someone delivers a pizza to your door and does a “knock and run”, it just doesn’t feel right!

Jokes aside, the global challenge ahead of us is massive and this really is a poignant reminder of how vulnerable we are as human beings. Life is so precious and we must never forget this. It’s easy to get carried away and take things for granted but this situation has shown us that everything can change in an instance. We should be grateful for everything in our lives. We never know when it will get flipped upside down. 

I’m so grateful for my friends, family and job right now. I’ve also noticed a heightened level of appreciation for the small and insignificant things in my life - I honestly never thought that I would look at toilet roll so fondly… This is actually quite a nice thing to be born out of all this chaos. A deep sense of gratitude. I don’t want to forget this feeling. 

To face the adversity of this situation and stay on top of my mental health, I have been trying to lean into the philosophy and ideas that guide my life. Having some kind of personal “operating system” and philosophical framework to rely on in tough times is incredibly helpful. For me, this is a combination of Buddhism, Stoicism and a positive/growth Mindset. We’re all different though and wherever you find strength, and whatever philosophy or “system” you use, it’s important to hold onto the valuable lessons to be found there. If we look for the lessons and trust our values to guide us, we will be able to handle the ebb and flow of this pandemic “gracefully”. 

I think it’s extremely important for us to remember that coronavirus will pass and that we will see the other side of it. I know how sad and scary it can be right now, but we should focus on the fact that this will end. Life equals change. This is temporary. Things are constantly moving and we will get through this.

Stay positive and stay courageous. We’re in this together and we’ll get out of this together!