SELF- REFLECTION: IT’S TIME TO BRIDGE GAP BETWEEN INNER AND OUTER SELF

It’s been more the five months since the malignant virus known as COVID-19 was first detected in the Wuhan city of China which later caught the attention of the world and in just a blink of an eye epidemic turned into a full-blown pandemic. The virus is spreading like a wildfire throughout the world, from which no one is immune however social distancing is the only way to make ourselves safe from this pernicious virus. Due to its wide reach, majority of the countries has enforced lockdown and India is one of those countries which has opted to implement the strenuous though the most effective forms of nationwide lockdown. The tough decision of lockdown is considered to have an impact to put a halt in the spread of corona virus throughout the country but its impact is not just limited to it somehow, it’s affecting the psychological well-being and mental health of people also.
We all are familiar with that fact that prevention is better than cure but due to lockdown people are confined in their home. Some are enjoying and utilising quarantine time to the fullest whereas on the other hand, for some people quarantine is becoming stressful, boring, frustrating and intolerable which is affecting their mental health. They’re getting anxious to step out of their homes, to socialise with their friends at their favourite spots, to do outdoor activities however due to lockdown every outdoor activity, socialising places are shut down and there is nothing you can do about this.
Therefore, instead of thinking about what you can’t do, why don’t we concentrate on what we can presently do. Winston Churchill once said “Don’t let any crisis go waste “. This is the golden opportunity to change our approach towards life by training our minds to see positive things in any situation. You all must be familiar with the great secret of life Law of attraction, the ability to attract into lives whatever we are focusing on. Therefore, our positive or negative thoughts brings such kind of experiences into our lives. Our life is in our hands, no matter where we are now, what happened in our past, we just have to start choosing our thoughts consciously and change our perspective. It’s all about the choices we make. William Glasser has rightly explained in choice theory that “almost all our behaviour is purposeful and chosen by us”.
People are constantly grumbling about having to do household chores these days!! But thankfully we have a home to clean and relax. Isn’t its being wonderful that we are staying with our families and got a plenty of time to spend with them? It’s the perfect time to rejuvenate our lives and relive our childhood. In the present era where kids are hooked to video games, technology, gadgets and mobile phones, it’s the time to introduce them to the concept of togetherness of family which due to modern and fast life we had missed. It’s the time to make them learn that it’s not the extravagant things that matters it’s the family who makes our lives extravagant. Additionally, it’s the time to set example for the younger generation how to cope with stressful situations most importantly the way, which parents will adapt to cope up this phase is going to have lifetime impact on your younger ones This is time when you can make most beautiful memories at home and that will be something to cherish  throughout your lives. Staying home will not only help to bridge the gap between you and your family but altogether it’s propitious for you as well.
It’s an ideal Me time to know your own thoughts and develop a sense of insight about oneself. It’s a phase in which lives are paused and you got a chance to analyse how fast you were running and in which direction in order to achieve the kind of lifestyle you want. Furthermore, it’s a window of opportunity to connect to yourself, your roots and look over your decisions which you have made, how well they have worked out and what you can learn from these set outs to get better results.
People are scared of isolation but as a matter of fact, isolation makes us more productive. Many actors have isolated themselves in the past to enhance their abilities to perform the challenging roles for their movies. As of now you don’t have any other option except for isolating oneself so it’s time to explore your true potentials. On social media, several people are posting how they are learning and enjoying baking cakes, cooking different cuisines, painting, singing, learning new musical instruments, new languages, which they never got a chance to explore due to the hassles of their lives. While exploring your true potentials you never know when you experience the “EUREKA” moment, which can change your life for good.
People are stressed and it’s absolutely okay to be stressed until it doesn’t start to overpower your thinking process. High levels of stress effects an individual physically and psychologically for instance insomnia, depression, hypertension, obesity and anxiety problems. There are many behavioural techniques which can be practiced at home to manage your stress such as deep breathing, meditation, mindfulness and Jacobson Muscle Relaxation Techniques. These techniques help you to take control of your breathing and creates a greater feeling of calmness in your body physiologically as well as psychologically.
 
You all are probably aware about the negative effects of COVID-19, it has a rather unexpected positive impact on the environment. Research shows that due to complete shutdown of the factories, vehicles and public transports the pollution level has gone drastically down and air quality is breathable again. The sky is getting completely clear with full of birds, the stars which were not visible earlier due to pollution are shining brighter, rivers are cleaner and to utter surprise Himalayan ranges are visible. Not only people understood nature but understood the importance of cleanliness, hygiene and are adapting the healthy lifestyle.
It is well said that there are two sides of a coin it’s completely your choice which side you pick positive or negative. We have no idea when this pandemic will end or what impact it will have on the human civilization but all we can do is, join together in supporting, uplifting each other and staying positive and we can get through anything together.
“Some days, the whole world seems upside down and then somehow and probably when you least expect it, the world rights itself again”

(Dr. Mandeep Kaur- Associate Professor in Psychology Punjabi University, Patiala and Ms. Jasmeen Kaur- Research Scholar in Department of Psychology, Punjabi University, Patiala)