Nishtha Shrestha

The rise in infection rate, deaths, pleas for help and struggle for hospital beds have become everyday headlines in the media. The second wave of coronavirus has pushed people to the limits with their physical and mental resources. It is not easy to work amidst the daily dose of fear, threat and grief over losing loved ones. This is certainly a time to be more aware of the difficulties faced by people around us and offer any form of support to them. At the moment, it may feel like there is no end to this disaster but humans are resilient beings and their ability to decide how to respond to events gives them an upper hand over any form of crisis.
Viktor E. Frankl, the author of the book, "A Man’s Search for Meaning”, used the term "response-able" to describe how he was able to survive the brutality in the concentration camps. He believed that his captors could take away his freedom but not the ability to choose his response.
This teaching can be applied in the present scenario to deal with the different negative situations we are facing due to the pandemic. Humans have the power to make choices and decisions regardless of the circumstances. It does not mean denying the reality but taking control of how one reacts to the problems at hand.
There are two kinds of people: proactive and reactive. Proactive people do not depend on the physical environment to determine their behaviour. They make conscious attempts to improve their lives and are accountable of their choices. The reactive people, on the other hand, surrender to the external events. They fail to consider their individuality and take decisions based on the situation. It is no rocket science to identify which type of individual fares better in the moment of stress. At an individual level, we cannot put an end to the pandemic but we can choose how we deal with this catastrophe.
We cannot ignore or prevent the occurrence of negative emotions in our lives. The goal, however, is to find small moments of positivity rather than staying focused in the unfavourable aspects. These micro-moments of joy, hope, inspiration or gratitude are sufficient to increase resilience, ability to think, improve well-being and maintain relationships.
In the current scenario, this could include simple activities such as talking to a friend, spending time with family, reading one's favourite book, listening to a song, etc. A study suggests the ratio of 3:1 which means we need three positive experiences for every one negative feeling. The choice is in our hands, whether to be a prisoner of the endless negative thoughts or cultivate the positive emotions in a way that suits one's unique conditions.