Lessons Learnt During a Pandemic
I didn’t realize I was infected. Fortunately, it wasn’t SARS-CoV-2. I was infected with something more deep-rooted and far less fatal. And I know many who are infected as well, even if they claim not to be. Yes, including those who don’t show any symptoms. We are infected with overconsumption, and we know it.
When the lockdown got announced in India, none of us went out to get our gold and diamonds out of bank lockers. None of us checked if we have enough cute outfits to wear. None of us worried if we have the perfect shoes. None of us wished for multiple cars. None of us wished for more rooms in the house than the number of people in it.
We all thought of food first. Those of us who live away from our parents and grandparents, have an unsaid fear lingering in their minds nowadays. All we wish right now is for them to stay healthy and safe. Nothing else matters. We want to ensure there is fuel in our bellies and our vehicles (in case of emergencies). I cannot even imagine the struggles and fears of the poor and underprivileged. I cannot fathom the levels of stress in essential services workers and their families. I cannot speak for them in any way. The underpaid and unpaid labor is keeping this world running as we cozily sit inside our comforters binge watching all the shows on our list.
I was avoiding writing about things I am noticing because the self-troll in me was screaming, “People are dying of disease and hunger, and you are complaining about minor issues.” So I want to begin with a disclaimer, “I am privileged, I notice things, and I overthink.” You are free to nod in agreement or roll your eyes otherwise.
- Basic Needs
Besides the roti, kapda, aur makaan (food, clothing, and shelter), the scope of our basic needs has broadened. Internet and electronic devices have become our saviors when we are under lockdown. Ability to connect with our friends and family has become a vital need to ensure we don’t collapse out of uncertainty and fear.
No matter how much you mock people obsessing about their favorite OTT shows; art is working as a great distraction and escape mechanism for many. Without movies, books, shows, comedy, and music, our lockdown would have been appallingly mentally damaging. People who are artistically inclined are at an advantage. A dance session, baking scrumptious brownies, or creating art can be strangely healing in such times. Avid readers are getting more time to indulge and they aren’t holding back at all. Art and internet have strongly made their way in our basic needs list.
2. Health
When a virus on a rampage threatens even the young and healthy, it makes us doubt the desire to get those washboard abs that can’t guarantee immunity against a deadly virus. However, our wish to be younger and healthier has never been stronger before. We cannot go back in time, so preventing aging is out of question. This time, fitness isn’t about vanity at all. We don’t care about those perfect bikini bodies. Now we want a kickass immune system that can only be attained with right nutrition and exercise. Underlying conditions feel more like a death threat now. This time we don’t have excuses. We have got to invest in health. We are actively thinking beyond the aesthetics and going after the real deal.
3. Space
Our crazy daily schedules used to make it hard for us to spend quality time with the people we live with. We complained about having to work too much, commuting to work too much, and traveling for work too much. Now that the virus has locked us down with our family, we are not completely ecstatic either. Are we? It has dawned on us that in spite of all the love and affection, we need our individual space and a break from each other. Very few have the luxury of having their own room to seek the much needed solitude. The rest are left to steal it in moments. For many, the routine of commuting to work/school, going to the gym, attending a class, or doing some social work acted as a break from the near and dear. Now it’s gone and we are left to figure out our own escapades.
No family is like the ones we watch in Sooraj Barjatya movies. We are varied complex personalities cooped up at close quarters. Spending every single waking minute together can make even the sweetest families get on each other’s nerves. Add in the fear of pandemic and economic recession, and you will find even the most patient ones snapping at each other after a while. That doesn’t make us a dysfunctional family. It’s just that people need to be able to be by themselves, meet friends and colleagues, and find some rhythm in what felt like a dreadful routine before.
The sudden absence of fancy date nights and weekend getaways, along with a sharp rise in the household workload and figuring out WFH full time can create friction in even the most romantic couples. And don’t even get me started on the couples living with young kids. I have special respect for them.
4. Luxury
When our basic needs are met, we seek things beyond our needs. We are now forced to categorize those things as non-essential items. That overloaded wardrobe is mocking us when we are depending on just a handful of clothing items these days. We cannot wear that super expensive diamond necklace in our living room. The larger than required house is causing us physical pain and loss of time when we have to clean the entire house in the absence of househelp for weeks. Even the most flamboyant ones might be contemplating moving to more practical houses.
Diminishing job prospects, market uncertainty, and a jolted capitalism are making us question everything. Giving up on luxury entirely and living like saints is not the solution. But yes, we do need to rethink our spending habits. Liquid assets and smart investments are getting the limelight more than ever. Living below ones means has become the new cool.
5. Uncertainty
The pandemic has shaken up even the most spontaneous “living in the moment” kind among us. YOLO seems silly and FOMO looks unnecessary. The sudden pause in our unstoppable attitude has taken us by surprise. Finally when things seemed to be on the right track, a virus changed our gears and steering wheels. Many might say that it has just been few weeks of change, and it doesn’t bother them. But it will.
Humans have messed up this world in the name of never ending growth and hyper productivity. We were never supposed to reach the population we have reached. We were never supposed to exhaust our resources the way we have. Pandemics are going to be more frequent and more brutal. Imagine going through multiple waves of infection before the vaccine arrives the markets. Imagine having to deal with worse pandemics at a higher frequency.
Of course, paranoia is not the way to live and humans are impressively resilient. It’s just that a “what if” zone has got created in our brains. The road accident survivors don’t stop using vehicles for the rest of their lives. They just become more vigilant and ensure they follow all the safety measures religiously. That’s exactly what is going to happen to us. We aren’t going to slow down suddenly. We are going to be more cautious hereon. This will impact our professional, financial, and personal life choices.
Many might say that humans are inherently greedy. Just like the previous pandemics, we will snap back to what we were, maybe even hungrier than before. I don’t have all the answers either. I do hope that we take away some life-long lessons from this life-changing catastrophic event. We need to move beyond our obsessive need for instant gratification and think more long-term.
I am not expecting completely transformed humans, but I do hope for more evolved humans. I hope we restructure our systems. The essential services workers need much better salaries and benefits than they are getting. I hope they get their much deserved hazard bonuses. I hope we continue classifying our workforce as essential and non-essential workers instead of blue and white-collar workers. I hope we learn from our mistakes, both at global and individual level. I hope we get through this with more empathy and less greed in our hearts.
