Hello Everyone, What crazy times… While we share feelings of uncertainty and powerlessness, we each confront the effects of this growing pandemic in very personal and profound ways. How this plays out, in the end, is still unknown, but it is clear we face a new reality – individually and collectively.
Long ago, I understood I had a responsibility in how I conduct my life, a responsibility to myself, to others, and to our planet. For many of us, this began as a response to the exploitation of animals. For some, it was a way to lead a healthier lifestyle and reverse chronic conditions. And still others, it was driven by environmental concerns. Whatever led each of us here, we all understand that our choices together forge metamorphic change. More and more are adopting sustainable lifestyles each and every day, and traditional industries are reforming to serve these markets. Each of us contributes, in both big and small ways, to shaping a better tomorrow for all.
If what we are witnessing now demonstrates anything, it is how connected we truly are – grappling with a disease that does not discriminate. Never before the world had to consider the grave and tragic outcomes of a single individual’s actions. Never before has the notion of collective responsibility played out in such far-reaching and profound ways. And never before have we been forced to understand just how much we crave, cherish, and need genuine human connection – while forced to live in isolation now as our only means of survival.
The human spirit is more resilient than we tend to acknowledge, as the entire world mobilizes to fight this common enemy. The human and financial toll is mounting with every passing hour. Be assured, we will find a cure, and at some point, the disease will be eradicated. But it is as critical that all the goodwill and awareness we are now generating endures.
Just weeks ago, I anticipated 2020 would be the best year of my career, with so many new projects, collaborations, and developments in the pipeline. And then suddenly everything just stopped. Plans were thrown into disarray, budgets gone, projects canceled. I started driving on a clear sunny day when suddenly thick fog rolled in and I am unable to see what lay ahead. I am still driving along that very same road day after day, not knowing what to expect next.
A Huge, Painful Wake-Up Call
Until this very moment, no other event has succeeded in awakening this entire world. In 2019 we read of fires raging across the Amazon and Australia destroying the natural habitat of millions of species, of tyranny rising in the streets of Venezuela where food had become scarce, of hundreds of thousands killed and millions displaced as civil war continued to rage in Syria, of thousands being infected by an Ebola outbreak in Congo. None of those events caused us to pause for more than a few moments, the few heart-wrenching minutes of watching a burning koala being saved. As we were not experiencing the actual carnage of these tragedies first hand, we did not imagine they affected us.
We can no longer turn a blind eye. The threat can not possibly get any closer, living amongst us all – silently and invisibly. There is nothing we can do, but to put our lives on pause and take notice. There are no more flights to catch, meetings to attend, vacations to plan, stores to visit, cafes to enjoy, shows to see, etc. There are no distractions, we are forced to face this new reality, one that has been in the works for decades. We can not attribute responsibility solely to man or solely to nature. These two forces are so intertwined, that any damage to one weakens the whole.
It’s ok not to be ok: Whatever it is that you’re feeling during this hard, scary and confusing time- remember that your feelings are valid. Expressing the way you feel when you sad or worried doesn’t make you less of a positive person. The expectations of society of being happy and positive all of the time are unrealistic and impossible. Take it slow. Breathe in. Hang in there️.
Social Distancing? Isolated, But Never Alone
Our freedom of movement, spending time with loved ones, hugging a friend, dining or attending events and concerts are things we used to take for granted, and there we are, slowly learning what actually matters in this little life we have, and perhaps, never taking anything for granted again.
It seems like this new, forced, temporary reality, has woken up some lovely parts in our society. People around the world gather to uplift each other’s spirits by singing from balconies, buying groceries for people in need, calling their parents or grandparents and friends, rediscovering the beauty and strength we have together, in unity, making sure that no one around us is left alone.
We might be in “physical distancing”, but this pandemic caused more unity than we’ve ever had before. Luckily, and hopefully, we won’t be needing to avoid hugs someday soon. And when the day comes, I hope we will remember to cherish what we have, and never take it for granted again.
Be sensitive
Hope keeps us sane, especially in those crazy times, and while trying to find the good in this situation, it is important to me to point out the obvious thing that some people may have forgotten: it does NOT make the situation good.
I know that since this pandemic has started, air pollution dropped. Co2 emissions are lower than they were in years. These are good things proving that our individual choices actions have such a big impact on this planet, on animals and on one another. It’s now as clear as it can get: But these lessons pandemic a positive thing whatsoever. Be sensitive to the pain of others during this time.
Don’t get me wrong: we CAN (and have to) definitely make the most out of this reality. It would be too bad not to go back to the world he had before it all started, learning nothing from a pandemic that taught us everything can change in a heartbeat.
How To Deal With this Global Pandemic?
Stay home: this is the most important thing you can do now, to keep yourselves, your loved ones and everyone around you safe. Avoid going outside of your house for unnecessary reasons.
Be grateful: social-distancing or being quarantined at this dangerous time is a luxury not many people have.
Surround yourself with loved ones, digitally: it’s so important to keep in touch with friends and family during this time. Chat with friends. Throw a Zoom call party. Revive old connections. Wonderful things can happen during this time. You might find that it allows you to open up more, pay more attention to others and build even stronger relationships.
Share your feelings: be vulnerable, we all are. Don’t be afraid to be judged for being “negative” or “depressing”: the right people in your life would understand and be there for you.
Keep hopeful and positive: it is hard at times, but it is so important- we will get through this! Don’t watch the news if it doesn’t make you feel good or makes you feel overwhelmed. Focus more on the nice things happening around now, many things to keep you positive and hopeful🙂
Help others: There are many people around you who are not able to go out and buy groceries or medicine. Share a post on Facebook and put up some notes around your neighborhood saying you are willing to help or simply reach out to a neighbor who you think might need help during this time.
Take time to be alone: it is such a great time to reflect, access what’s good for you in your life and what’s not, and ask yourself questions you might have avoided for a long time. Perhaps you will make some changes in the way you think, act, consume… changes that would make you a better person for yourself, for your loved ones, for animals, for the planet. Think, breathe, act.
Take care of yourself: self-care is individual, but here are some ideas: give yourself a nice face massage. Use a face mask. Take a nice warm shower. Read a lovely book. Workout (or at least try), and mainly…
Do what’s best for YOU: I see a lot going on online on how to make the most out of this time, how to be productive when working from home, I see people decluttering, reading, blogging: every single one of us is dealing with the situation differently. My best advice for you would be to do what feels right to you and what makes you happy. If you have to work, go ahead and do that. If you currently have nothing to do and feel like decluttering your closet, go ahead and do that. If you just feel like sitting and doing nothing: go ahead and do that. Don’t feel pressured to be productive during this time. It is totally fine to just rest, reflect, read, and be.
Consider going vegan: Our choices affect others, and this is the biggest lesson we’ve learned from COVID-19. The way we live our lives, the way we consume, the way we eat: all of these choices that till now we considered being one’s personal choice, but can’t be claimed that anymore, as so-called “personal choice” is not only killing billions of innocent animals but also killing people all around the globe.
The new coronavirus started in the Chinese city of Wuhan, and it is strongly thought to have originated from a meat market, in which animals are held in cruel conditions and killed brutally. The World Health Organization, The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, and World Organization For Animal Health have previously stated that increased demand for animal protein is one of the main risk factors of a pandemic.
And apart from that, many of us are currently experiencing how it feels to slowly lose our sense of freedom, and fear when thinking about the future. This pandemic only highlights the fact that us humans are the most privileged beings on this planet. When we look at wildlife, animals who can only trust themselves to only find food, water, and protection from being hunted by other animals, and comparing their lives to ours, humans, who are usually specializing in one or two things, which in fact, can be good on one hand, but makes us less independent on the other.
We trust other people almost fully to get our water, food, electricity, homes, security, health, etc. Something like a global pandemic is threatening this trust, as more and more of us, humans, are required to stay at home. This new situation isn’t only an opportunity for us to gain gratitude for what we used to have and will have again soon, but also an opportunity to look at the ones who are weaker than us, not only wildlife but the animals we exploit, who have none of the privileges I mentioned.
We are locked in our comfortable homes with TV, food, electricity, access to the internet, and things can get boring and hard quite fast, can’t they? Imagine spending your whole life like that. Quite uncomfortable, and scary, isn’t it? Now imagine how it might feel being stuck in a cage without being able to move or do anything but simply standing till the day you die. That’s the reality for billions of animals out there, and perhaps, the rise of empathy during this hard time, and the ability to feel the pain of others around us, human and non-human animals.
I really hope this article helps you navigate life during this hard time. I am looking forward to hearing how you’re holding up and about your tips for dealing with the current situation in the comments.
Sending you tons of hugs and positive vibes during this hard time,
Stay safe, healthy, and hopeful! We will do it together.
Noa
Read: All you need to know about stress tolerance and 12 ways to manage it (geneplanet.com)
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