Keeping connected through COVID-19

‘The Closer we become, the Stronger we get’ The world has seen and suffered a lot for the last one year. We have seen millions of people pass away, millions in pain urging for help, millions becoming homeless, millions losing their jobs. The only thing we did not see is how close we have become to the people we love…. What did we do in our lives every single day before the pandemic? How much time did we spend with our family before the lockdown? Before the lockdown, we would usually be busy with our jobs, schools, colleges, universities, and so on… None of us could get spare time, sitting by the fireplace with no worries, talking to our family for hours, or even asking them how they had spent their day. It would take us hours to decide if we could go on a vacation or out for dinner with our loved ones…. Now, look what we are doing. We are spending so much time with our family and friends. We might not be able to visit our friends, but we are still talking to them on video calls via applications like Zoom, Facebook Messenger, Imo, Viber, and so on. Formerly, we used to talk to them, but for how long? A few seconds, a few minutes, and at the most only an hour. However, now we talk to each other for hours and hours as we have a lot of extra time on our hands. Previously, we would hardly talk to each other about anything else other than work, studies, and so on… Now we talk to each other about the good old days, about the things we love to talk about. With the advent of technology, there are so many ways we can still be connected through this pervasive. We can arrange audio calls or video calls with our kinsfolk, just the way we used to do with our coworkers and schoolmates. It is not that hard, all we need is a smartphone or laptop or a MacBook or any other device which can be connected to the internet. So, why should we not try doing this? There are so many people, we know, who are all alone during this pandemic. If a single phone call can add a smile to their face, why should we not do so? I mean that is the least we can do. Again we can do so many activities together online. For instance, some gyms and yoga classes are offering virtual classes. So, if someone wants to get fit during their lockdown, they totally can. But if someone does actually like working out, in that case, he or she can play video games with their friends through multiplayer online role-playing games or watch movies via streaming applications like, ‘Netflix Party’. There are so many more things we can do together with just a tap of our finger, for example, we can do our ‘meaning to get to it, share recipes, trying new skills together and so much more. In that way everyone can spend their quarantine time happily, without getting depressed, doing their favorite activities. Furthermore, many schools are offering online (virtual) learning for students, which is allowing many students to connect with their schoolmates and teachers, and at the same, they are continuing to study without a pause, due to which no one’s education is hampered. Again it is extremely beneficial for the students whose homes are far away from their schools, as they can learn new things from the comfort of their homes without the everyday hassle. The biggest benefit is that it saves a lot of time and money for the students. How is it saving time and money for the students? Previously, they had to travel from one place to another for joining a class. However, now they do not have to do so, which in turn is saving their transportation expenditures and the time required to travel. I understand the fact that not everyone can use or have access to digital devices. However, there still are other ways to stay connected without them, in other words, the good old ways of communications. When was the last time we took a pen and paper and wrote a letter? It is quite rare these days and almost extinct. We usually chat with each other via applications like Line, Google Hangouts, WeChat and so many more. However, we did forget that there are so many people we know, who do not have a smartphone. Did we ever wonder how light-hearted they will be when they receive a letter from us? The smile on their face knowing the fact that they are not alone, the satisfaction in their mind knowing that we did not forget them. All these things are priceless and no one in the world has the power to convey them in words. Again if for example one of our friends stays next door, we can simply go outside and talk to them, of course considering all the safety precautions, i. e. , wearing masks, constantly sanitizing our hands, and keeping at least a distance of six feet between each other. I mean we can talk to our friends and also stay safe by taking small steps like these, so what is the harm if we do so. Furthermore, we can send them a care package, packed with medicines, sweets, cards and so on. In that way, they will never feel depressed for not knowing how to properly use a smartphone; rather they will be overwhelmed to know that we still care for them and do not neglect them for not knowing something, they will be in the seventh heaven to be more precise. There are numerous ways to stay connected with each other. Similarly, there are ways to be connected with ourselves. What do I mean by staying connected with ourselves? It means to spend a few moments all by ourselves, telling us that we are not alone, we are just a little bit distant from our loved ones, and within the blink of an eye and we will go back to how it was before the pandemic, going to our workplaces, meeting friends, having a get-together with our family. How are going to do so? That is quite simple, by hugging ourselves, to be, frankly speaking, we will just wrap ourselves with arms, give ourselves a tight squeeze and if we deserve a hug, there will be a smile the next moment on our face. Another way is to take a deep breath and all our tensions will be gone at least for a few minutes and in that way, we will less blue, broken-hearted, and depressed, which in turn will make us a stronger and better person. Why is it important to stay connected? Humans are social creatures. We desire connection. As we spend more time in our homes, cut off from friends and family in a bid to stop the outspread of the virus, the deficit of corporeal touch can be psychologically perplexing. Our psychological well-being has a noteworthy influence on our corporal fitness and the other way round. When a disproportion in our day-to-day practices and communal communications is interjected, health can fade, subsequently remaining allied while societal isolation is indispensable. People who engross in eloquent and dynamic activities with others incline to live longer, recover their disposition, and have the logic of perseverance. So, we must stay communally related to family, friends, and neighbors during this time of bodily estrangement from others. While the connections we have with ourselves are significant, the ones we have with our nearest and dearest are just as essential. We rely on these relations for a lot of our harmony, corroboration, buoyancy, and bliss. With social communication at rock bottom, it’s time to reconnoiter how we can stay connected with each other as best as imaginable, preserve our affiliations, and cope with the existing condition. Let us ponder on this period not as public hostility but as somatic separation. We may be substantially apart but we need to stay communally and enthusiastically linked. After all, we are all together in this – none of us are on one’s own Jack. Now more than ever we have to find inventive means to stay united. The Covid-19 epidemic is fleeting – it will be over soon. As much as we are capable – uphold a sense of faith. We should discourse with treasured ones and friends about our apprehensions and terrors – talking about our frame of mind can be very obliging. At the end of the day the closer we become, the stronger we get.