Someone recently asked me: How do you keep up your cheerful nature in this period of Covid 19 pandemic?
Until the question was posed, I have really not given it much thought. Even more weird is the fact the person considered me as having a “cheerful nature” in the face of such hardships.
That simple question got me thinking a bit, and wondering to myself what exactly I have been doing for the past few days since the lockdown came into effect.
Yes, it is already over a week here in Nigeria!
Many have easily forgotten how many days it has been. Also, many of us have begun to forget and re-define many of the social constructs that gave our lives some form of organization and sanity.
Some people are losing track of things that once gave their lives a meaning – time, love and a sense of belonging.
It is a testing time for all of us out there, a serious battle to keep our minds sharp and focused amidst a sea of vast nothingness, stagnant inactivity and a flood of negative information that feeds into our heightened state of paranoia.
As someone who describes himself as a creative mind, you can imagine how dangerous a situation of having little or no cash to fall back on, having no prospect of work/project from clients and bombardment with so much true and false information can be. So, when that question was posed to me a few days back I was thrown aback.
Trust me, I have been through a lot of mental stress in the first few days of the lockdown.
I worried about the unquantifiable losses from cancelled jobs and contract fees reimbursed to clients; suppliers whom I had paid money but who couldn’t deliver in the face of the lockdown and who couldn’t refund; rent on an office space I have hardly used since the lockdown; safety of and salaries for staff staff; about my personal safety and that of those I love during this period. Before the lockdown, it was easier to deal with all these things. I had a place to GO and I could DO a number of things to FILL my TIME.
I couldn’t immediately put my finger on any deliberate set of process I embarked on to put my mind atease. But, on a more careful reconstruction of how I have lived my days since the lockdown came into effect on the night of March 30, I have come to be able to piece together a few things that I think are directly attributable to why I have largely become unfazed by the current pandemic situation and the attendant lockdown in place across the state. Some of these things many of us might currently be doing unconsciously too; and if not, it might help some of us reading this article at the moment to cope better with the mental stressors caused by Covid 19 lockdown.
Keep Working:
This may sound crazy, especially since there are not so many “paying” clients out there. That is a shame in itself, and a topic for another day. However, engaging yourself in work will keep your creative mind sharp and your creative pipe well lubricated. You may consider just designing or coming up with concepts for yourself for use on your social media pages, or on pro bono basis for clients like NGOs etc. All these content and ideas, can also be kept in storage for use when things get back to normal – which they will. Moreover, getting on your laptop or ipad to work (or even note down ideas and concepts) as regularly as you can will give you some sense of purpose. Keep some sort of routine to your work process too, even if you have relaxed your working hours.
Seek New Knowledge:
There is so much time on our hands these days, right? Let us put all that time to good use. Seek out new ideas and equip yourself with knowledge about how to better package for your particular craft. I know you might have heard it a lot during this period, people telling you to do courses etc. There is no better time to do it than now, at least you have the time on your hands to get it done if you are committed enough. Some of the courses I have partaken in has nothing to do with my field – but, I am experiencing new information and updating and upgrading my knowledge. Wouldn’t you, your business and your life be better served doing the same?
Experiment and Improvise:
Beyond seeking knowledge, I have also tried to adapt a few to my own needs. The other day I saw something from this blog and I was blown away. You see, creativity and how we stretch our minds to exploring and expand its frontiers is what will stand us out in the short and long run. If you have read CONTENT CREATION IN A PANDEMIC LOCKDOWN, I hope you had a chance to see how the flyers designed to promote the post were designed. They showed deep creative thinking and a boundless desire to experiment and improvise. Pieces of designs whose images made little sense individually, but when presented in a jigsaw puzzle format made perfect sense. They definitely wowed me, but more important was the desire of the creator to take maximum advantage of the time available.
Connect With the World:
Simply because you are in a lockdown doesn’t mean you have to shut the world out. Yes, there is so much stuff out there you want to shield yourself from and so many people who might have disappointed you with their opinions and views on certain subject matter. Nonetheless, you should make efforts at seeking out friends, families and colleagues online. There are so many apps that allow you to connect with and have quality relationships. Even if these wouldn’t fully replace the value face-to-face interactions, they will still help you keep in touch to exchange ideas, fears and seek help and reassurances. I have done a lot of Whatsapp calls and video calls than I have ever done previously in my lifetime. It helped me keep my mental health in a balanced state as I was reassured of the safety of friends, family and colleagues. Regular calls like these allowed us to also lend each other a shoulder to lean on, as we shared jokes and reminisced on old times and escapades. You can also read books and engage in online platforms that will help relieve your stress levels. Believe me, there are loads of content out there that will help you deal with the troubles of everyday living during this pandemic.
Develop A Hobby:
It is healthy to pick up a hobby at this time. This helps to really keep your mind off the heavy stuff. I have seen people who have rediscovered the art of cooking, sewing, painting and even playing video games. These are great activities for filling the vacuum of inactive time. An idle mind is a fertile ground for all sorts of weird stuff to germinate. So, when you find yourself having so much time on your hand you have nothing to do with, you can start by filling it with a hobby. For me, I have been reading quite a lot lately. I have rediscovered my love for books, and thank God for the web and a large library at home.
Never Be Afraid to Ask For Help:
Finally, I have noticed many of us are reluctant to ask for help when we are struggling – emotionally, financially and spiritually. I fall into this category too I am afraid to say. However, I have come to a clear understanding and realization of a simple fact – I cannot HANDLE EVERYTHING. I have since learned to ask for help where and when I needed it. You can ask for help directly and indirectly. Also, never you forget the role of your spirituality on keeping you afloat in these times. Sometimes, I got the help I needed from kind-hearted individuals, other times I just found divine favor – like when one client paid money I had totally written off in view of past experience due to the covid 19. Instances like these have shown me that I am not alone and never will be. My spirits are high because I understand that there are just some things in life that we cannot control, no matter how hard we try. So, why do we wear our minds out with worry when we could better engage it by filling our time with more worthwhile activities that will help reduce our stress levels and allow us keep a healthy mental balance during this Covid 19 pandemic.
Always remember, worrying too much and too long about a situation doesn’t necessarily solve it.
Read Corona Virus: 5 Ways to Survive as A Business Owner here
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Written by: Shanu Afolami, Lead Strategist at 3keys Communications Concept
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