In times of uncertainty, we don’t know what to do. We revert back to our natural instincts. We take a step back from the pursuit of practically anything to the pursuit of survival.
When we don’t know what’s going to happen, we feel scared. We are afraid. What’s next?
One day our generation’s (millennials) consumerism was tagged to be on the lookout for experiences rather than possessions, only to find ourselves locked down with nothing but our possessions.
From planning trips to planning canned Tuna in the house, just in case it gets worse.
We have shifted our purchases from that special dinner with the amazing view of Burj Khalifa or the Nile, to stocked food. We shifted from playing group sports to joining “group” classes online. Never would I have thought that dumbbells, kettlebells and yoga blocks would be part of my furniture, but here I am.
From food necessities to entertainment at home.
… and while the economy is sinking, Netflix’s stock price is reaching a whole new level.
We complained about the endless meetings at work, but hey, they didn’t stop. This time, they are happening over Microsoft Teams, but guess what? Our eyes got the hit, from straining at screens for over 14 hours a day… and then, came a new demand for computer glasses protecting against blue rays.
In college, I didn’t have hot water and so I always had cold showers, and since then, I have always been grateful for every single hot shower I have.
… and may I say, how I miss all the things we have always taken for granted.
Gone are the days when we see the crowd in downtown Burj Khalifa, or in the Vatican in Rome, or Tahrir Square in Cairo, or Times Square in New York. Those are just pictures of the past… and just like that, they became deserted.
In some cities, the privilege of just having a walk is gone. Sunlight became a scarcity and depending on how lucky you are when you chose your home, you get to have some fresh air.
And while some of us are lucky, and can actually work from home, thousands, if not millions became jobless.
From health concerns to an economic disaster to domestic violence and increasing rates of divorce. God forbid…
What could happen to our psychological health?
Some live with others, be it a partner, roommates, or families with kids. While they continue to argue, others are left out with zero social interaction for weeks and even months, living alone, and perhaps have only a social interaction when going out to buy groceries.
Gone are the days when we can be spontaneous and talk to a stranger on the street. They are scared, they think “Stay away from me, and don’t you dare touch me or even think of breathing the same air as me.”
Social distancing has become the norm, and as humans, social connection is what keeps us strong, but… in times of uncertainty, we go back to our natural instincts.
Survival comes first.