The Pandemic: Coping with challenging times
A slight change in perception can make a large difference
2020 has been a really bad year for most of us. You might have been laid off by your boss… You might not have been able to live your life freely due to the lockdowns imposed… You might feel lonely and isolated from your friends while financial burdens loom overhead…
How then do we cope to this new normal, this post-pandemic world with uncertain economic prospects?
1. Positive Mindset
With news of a covid vaccine on the way, the solution to the pandemic is in sight. However, the road to recovery is a long one and requires every individual to play our part, be it donning masks when outside or actually purchasing the vaccines when it comes out.
a. Be thankful
If you are able to read this article, chances are that you have access to the internet and are living in a well-developed city. Yes, you have had it hard… but you probably are not the worst off compared to the poor people living in subharan Africa. Instead of comparing our lives with those who seem to be having it better than us and feeling inadequate as a result, we can be thankful for what we already have.
We can be thankful for the fact that we have food on the table, we have shelter above our heads and most importantly, we can be thankful that we are still alive. A loss of job or a reduction in income may lower our standard of living temporarily, but we probably will not die from it.
b. Forgive
When we encounter a problem, it is easier to point our fingers at others and push all the blame to them.
It is the government’s fault for not preparing the hospitals in advance…
It is my boss who fired me and took away my income…
Why do I have to deal with this…
However, when we realise that there is actually no point in blaming other people because what’s done has been done and that whatever other people do is beyond our control, we can reach the logical conclusion that there is no point holding on to grudges and feeling anger. Instead, we can learn to forgive others and ourselves for the mistakes we all made, as well as to focus more on what is within our control and do our best.
2. Making the best of our time
Time is the most significant asset we all have. It is limited and you cannot turn back time.
An inch of time is an inch of gold, but an inch of time cannot be purchased for an inch of gold. -Chinese Proverb
Some of us have been fired, some are working from home. Instead of simply complaining and giving up on life, why don’t we make the best use of our free time that we have more of now?
a. Learn a new skill
There are many online courses that you can access to pick up a new skill, improve your current skills or maybe pick up a new hobby that you have been dreaming of doing but haven’t had the time. In today’s age of technology, there are many online platforms for us to learn new skills such as Udemy, Coursera and KhanAcademy. Just because you have already graduated does not mean that your learning should stop.
I have enrolled in several Udemy courses to learn some modules about Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA), as well as Python for finance as I am interested to earn some passive income by investing so I need to equip myself with the necessary skills. While it may not be easy and I felt tired and burnt out at times, I knew that it was a step towards increasing my passive income and even if I do not succeed in investing, it will still be a wonderful learning experience.
Perhaps more companies require employees with skills in the Information Technology (IT) sector as more workers are working from home so learning a thing or two about computers and IT could very well land you a job. Perhaps more companies require employees with skills in the data analytics sector because more consumers are staying at home now and prefer to shop online and have groceries delivered to their doorstep so picking up data analytics could get you a job at Amazon. Or maybe you always wanted to learn how to play the piano but was simply too busy. Now is the time.
b. Seeking alternative sources of income
I have already published an article about how to make more money, please refer to this link:
Ultimately, life is full of ups and downs. Most of the events are beyond our control but what we can control is our attitude towards life and our own personal development. Sometimes life throws at us undesirable events and it is a challenge to face them. However, for us to learn and grow as a person, we must learn to accept and adapt. A small change in mindset can make a large difference.
