Before the year 2019 came to fruition, we are all hoping for a “20/20 vision” in the coming year 2020. Although, everyone is keeping their hopes up on having a fresh start this 2020, there will always be certain things that are beyond our control. The fresh start that we all wanted is good before it lasts because of the turmoil that we are facing now.

So, how is this pandemic and isolation impacting our daily lives?

This pandemic disrupts the normal things that we are accustomed to do.

We cannot go out freely because of the community quarantine and most public spaces are temporarily closed, or operating with reservations. Students are struggling with their online classes and there will be no graduation ceremonies. The workforce are walking on thin lines of risking their health and the need to work to support their basic needs. We can only hope that those in power are doing everything that they could to help the Filipino citizen. And, let’s not also forget our responsibilities as constituents.

It affects us physically, emotionally, and mentally.

We need to take care of our bodies and health more than ever, as we should always be. We cannot risk  getting sick because going to hospitals are dangerous because of all the COVID-19 patients that are being admitted and there is a high possibility of you contracting the virus there. The prevention that we could do is to boost our immune system, wear masks and observe social distancing. This may be the new normal in the foreseeable future.

This pandemic also affects us emotionally.

We humans are created to follow our routines, and the disruption of this routine makes us think of the things we took for granted. We can be in isolation for some time, but we also need face to face interactions rather than interacting with our friends and loved ones through screen. With this, others may feel lonely, stressed, tired, and the like, because of the long distance communication and lack of interaction.

On a lighter note, this home isolation could somehow give us time to reflect and recalibrate ourselves. It could be the time to process and analyze our realizations during these trying times. Maybe, try asking yourself these questions:

“Am I being ethical to other people whenever I do some deeds?”

“What contributions did I make (doesn’t matter how big or small) to at least ease the problem we are facing?”

“Did I take advantage of this time to spend more time with loved ones?”

“Did I take advantage of this time to try to be productive/try something new/etc.?”

Whatever your reflections are, let’s hope that it could be a vehicle to improve into being the best version of yourself. However, do not be discouraged if you feel like you have done nothing productive or fruitful or you feel like you are stalling most of the time.

Like I said, this turmoil has a deep impact to us individually. We all have different coping mechanisms and it is best to take things one step at a time.

Stay safe, Kids! We are looking forward to seeing you soon.