How are you doing?

A rainy Sunday filled with mundane weekend tasks was weighing me down with the thought that I hadn’t done anything worthwhile. Out of the blue, while surfing the internet, I came across a poem that made my day. Laura wrote it so beautifully that it needs no explanation. It boosted my morale and pulled me out of the guilt trip of “not doing anything.”

Generally, we encourage each other to get started, keep moving, chase dreams, tick off items on the bucket list, pursue perceived success, and live up to expectations—whether set by ourselves or by society. We believe life is a journey, and we should keep moving without stopping so we can achieve that much-glorified success!

Oh, that’s quite hectic. Still, we feel proud to be that Superman or superwoman who can manage and balance everything to achieve the dream. But do you ever feel burned out and exhausted? Maintaining good physical and mental fitness helps for a while. However, the constant pressure to finish everything, complete every task perfectly, and take care of all responsibilities around us is not easy to sustain for long. How long we can pull it off—years, months, or weeks—depends on individual capacity.

Most of us forget to pause and reflect: Is time running out to reach the limit? Do we need a break? Can we let go of a few things that can wait? How much can we handle with our current mental and physical stamina? How do we reinforce ourselves and rejuvenate our inner strength?

To add to these challenges, we faced a situation that was unheard of until recently. Fear, anxiety, distress, and uncertainty took over. Instead of a madly busy schedule, most of us were confined to our homes during lockdown.

It took quite some time to get used to the vicious cycle of cleaning, sanitizing, social distancing, wearing masks, and avoiding outings for relaxation. The initial days were draining and took a toll on our minds. Regardless of the type of work, everyone was impacted by the situation.

Our thought patterns and behaviors are changing. Whether the change is for better or worse, time will tell. But reflecting on these changes can give us clues about the direction we’re heading. Some people have developed new skills to adapt to the changing world. For others, the fear of losing a job or business and the related stress has been overwhelming. Many have become overly conscious about hygiene, buying every possible product. For those who faced the pandemic directly or saw its impact on friends and family, the experience has been devastating.