Lessons from Lockdown
Image: Alexandre Chambon on Unsplash.
Lianna Tosetti reflects on perspective, uncertainty and hope in a time of crisis.
Lockdown, although static, has been a twisting journey. It’s hard to believe we have been self-isolating for almost three months now and even tougher to process the thought of what the future may hold for us, as individuals and globally. My own emotions, I admit, have been balanced on a precarious pedestal, dipping between dark hopelessness and a lighter positivity. There are so many ominous questions hanging over us and the answers to them don’t seem to quite make satisfactory or logical sense. An aura of uncertainty and loneliness plagues me often, yet there are also brighter days in which I feel motivated and more prepared to tackle the challenges in front of me.
When I reflect on all I have achieved in the last few months, it is of clear indifference to the courageous work of Key workers and NHS staff. However, I am proud of my comparatively small accomplishments such as that of improving my running ability, completing my second-year exams in difficult conditions and of delivering vital medication and food to vulnerable neighbours. I have learnt it is far healthier and better to stay busy, productive, and fit, rather than resort to the comfort and shelter of my own bed, lit up under the soft, alluring glow of Netflix.
If Coronavirus has taught me lessons in gratitude and productivity, it has also proven to me the value of community and kindness.
An essential coping mechanism I can only stress is the importance of keeping perspective. I recently had a phone call with a young woman with multiple sclerosis who was isolating with her partner who also suffered from various heart conditions. Regardless of her situation, she remained positive and was able to laugh and joke with me. It made me realise how the most serious problem I face as a consequence of the pandemic, the fact that I cannot socialise, is minuscule in comparison to the life-threatening situations others have to deal with.
As I said before, on the days I feel low and frustrated with the world, keeping perspective offers a calmful and mindful remedy. I am lucky to have shelter and a caring family, and I am grateful towards technology for allowing me to contact my friends. The only battle I face is that of dull boredom and getting lost in the dangerous, addictive whirlpool of endless social media.
If Coronavirus has taught me lessons in gratitude and productivity, it has also proven to me the value of community and kindness. I see faces I have never seen before standing outside, clapping alongside me every Thursday at 8:00pm, and I feel a sense of companionship in my fellow, once distant and preoccupied neighbours. In a time of darkness and crisis, it is these glimmers of hope and of taking a stand together, that will allow us to cope with our ever changing world and to heal with our losses.
