Winning the Covid-19 War with Happiness — Amlesh Ranjan

Coping with the ongoing pandemic, securing good mental health for yourself and all the near and dear ones around you is important, but Don’t Be Alarmed, Stay Alert…. better still, consciously Become Happy!

Don’t Be Alarmed, Stay Alert, Become Happy — Amlesh Ranjan

Yes, our World is passing through absolutely, alarming times, due to Covid-19 but, does it help to be alarmed ?

NO, Staying Alert, yes but Being Alarmed, NO.

Being Alarmed does not help because when we are in the alarm stage, our nervous system goes into to fight or flight mode, heart starts beating faster; blood and oxygen are diverted towards peripheral organs.

The mind goes into survival mode and the body gets into a reactive frame and we may end up unduly harming ourselves and others. We tend to be selfish; hoard instead of sharing.

Staying Alert on the other hand means that despite the circumstances, we are fully aware, awake, attentive, and prepared to act. Wikipedia defines it so well — ‘Alertness is the state of active attention by high sensory awareness such as being watchful and prompt to meet danger or emergency or being quick to perceive and act. It is related to psychology as well as physiology.’

In the current extremely tough times faced by all of us, being alarmed won’t help while being alert will sure be highly facilitative in controlling and even reversing the situation for the self, for our family, neighbors, friends and, all our fellow citizens of the World.

And it is doable, as the discipline of Psychology says that an alarm state can be easily progressed into alertness.

Staying Alert is good but even better response will be, to consciously ‘Become Happy’.

Am sure most of you will be aghast at my temerity to propose happiness when disease, distress, despair and even deaths are haunting our World. But I have my reasons to do so, and I invite you to have a look at the same.

PositivePsychology.com quoting the research of Florentine, 2016 and Newman, 2015 shared few of the most interesting facts and findings on the Positive Impacts Of Happiness:

• Happiness boosts our immune system
• Happiness can also act as a barrier between you & germs
• Happiness is linked to lower heart rate and blood pressure
• People who are happier enjoy greater protection against stress
• Happy people, comparatively, experience fewer aches and pains
• Happiness acts as a protective factor against disease and disability
• Happiness can help people cope with arthritis and chronic pain better
• Happiness is contagious; you stay happy, all around you will be happier

Am sure, you are convinced about the overwhelmingly positive impact of happiness on our lives and how important it is to be happy in these very difficult times.

But now the million dollar question is, How To Be Happy. I am sharing, what works for me, please have a look-

• Let’s be Grateful for who we have and all that we have in our life
• Let’s be Grateful to all who are fighting this coronavirus war for us
• Let’s be even more Caring and Protective of Elderly and Children
• Let’s be Helpful and Supportive of all who work for us
• Let’s be extra Loving towards our spouse / partners
• Let’s ensure our Deliverables to the organization
• Let’s step up our Exercise and Yoga activities
• Let’s learn to look within and do Meditation
• Let’s read the Books we were planning to, for long
• Let’s Write the articles / blogs that we wanted to
• Let’s Compose couplets/poems and share with all
• Let’s listen to and Sing/Play the favorite Music/song
• Let’s watch the Movies that we always loved
• Let’s Enjoy the web series that is of interest to us
• Let’s Cook meals/dishes for our near and dear ones
• Let’s be Generous with our likes & emojis on posts
• Let’s read and Share jokes with everyone around
• Let’s keep smiling and make everyone, Smile

I know, the list is exhaustive but most of the things one does intuitively, and rest can be done with a conscious effort.

Of course, we can not do all in one go but we can choose and start.

Actually, it starts with the decision, ‘I want to be happy and spread happiness around’.

These extraordinarily trying times won’t be helped through by being alarmed, yes, We must Stay Alert but consciously Becoming Happy will win COVID-19 War for us.

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Note: Views expressed are personal.