3 Ways to Refocus Our Lives for a Better 2022

What you choose to focus on will definitely grow!

Photo by redcharlie on Unsplash

P andemic changed its meaning ever since the beginning of the year 2021. The situation hasn’t changed much but our responses sure did. There is a sense of positivity in the air. Some might say it’s because of the vaccine and others might emphasize the pandemic awareness aka usage of masks and sanitization. In a sense, we got used to the mortifying news and are holding other topics with greater importance than the news of Pandemic. I can see where it’s coming from, to be honest. As humans, we quickly get bored and tired. It can be said for this pandemic too. We are worn out, hearing the news of deaths for years now and are so tired of the fact that we can’t really do much about it.

Everyday, we are looking through the news for something hopeful. A sense towards the old normals. A world without masks, travel restrictions, quaratine, hates and maybe a little less weddings. But I believe, it is the beginning of the new era we are about to live through. A bit convenient, a bit futuristic and a bit unconventional. I couldn’t sense this huge change, a gap, growing under my nose until recently when I had a memorable interview for an internship.

In the year 2021, I had an interview for an internship with a magazine in Chicago. A very futuristic interview where my interviewer was sitting in his comfy apartment in Chicago and me, in my ungroomed little room in Japan. The interview was very different from the other ones I did. The first 10 minutes were mostly off the topic; a mere introduction to the day and how Zoom is making things easier around the world. In the next 20 minutes, of the interview I noticed a few points that are surely the new normal-

1. There is no need for long hours of commuting anymore and so there isn’t a plausible excuse for being late as we only need to log on to the Zoom. (However, you can easily disconnect at the primes, acting on how poor the connection is that specific day.)
2. There is very less opportunity to showcase your personality and charms, as this is a virtual meeting. This widens the effects of your CVs and References immensely.
3. Proper evaluations are not done in a lot of the cases as a lot of the elements are missing from the virtual interview.
4. Anyone can easily help you from behind the curtains. You can easily hide a headphone, ask someone to prepare professional answers and ace the interview. (They will know- but- How will they know!)

So, I could finally see, the change that will soon be a part of our routine. This pandemic is bringing some eternal changes and the waves are shifting for good. The work-from-home style is showing promising result. (And also miscommunication and blunders in some cases.) It is comfortable and productive. (Also too cozy and distracting.)

Before we realize that the unconventional way isn’t going to work, let’s make the best out of this Pandemic Lifestyle. Here are 5 ways to refocus our lives to make the best out of this crisis.

Fear

Ever since the end of 2019, “Fear” was the one thing common among all of us. If we look down the headlines, it will bring back the goosebumps as well as the horrific memories. We had pandemic, ethnic cleansing, bush fire, mass shooting and endless other strings of similar words.

The isolation due to pandemic crippled us of our need to verify news before believing it. Having hours, days and months almost locked away in our apartments, we started to feed on the half-lie and half-truth concoction of the media. Fear kept growing, hatred kept building and actions came in the espy of seconds.

It is evident. We are afraid. All those negativity created a bigger fear of some particular countries, ethnicities, people and this is adding oil to the fire. When we needed positivity the most, it was nowhere to be found. No influencer talked about it, no media reported and no motivational speaker came forward. The hatred has flown beyond the boundaries. Our “Love” and “Care” should have wings, not our “Hate” and “Prejudice”. I can freely accept that-

In year the 2020, our “Hatred”, “Prejudice”, “Discriminatory instincts” flew like jets and sonics.

So don’t let Fear hold you anymore. I want my 2022 to be free of prejudice, fear and anger. I don’t expect 2022 to be better than 2021 but I am sure to make the changes so that it doesn’t end up being the same. So, I researched about what can I do to stop my fears from growing? Here they go-

Learn about the fears.

Evaluate the link between you and your fears.

Accept my fears.

Expand your knowledge about them and don’t let your thinkings influence people around.

This is not like medicine that is going to take action immediately. But it is like a therapy that is going to improve us one think at a time. I tried this pattern for a few weeks. It expanded my knowledge. I acknowledged eventually that my fear turned to hatred and discrimination. Doing these, won’t stop you from fearing but it would definitely reduce the intensity and the impact.

Inclusion of people

In the past few years, we have become well trained to avoid crowds and interactions. A lot of the media has turned to the internet for distant interactions. It can be socially awkward to interact with people from works or college after more than 2 years of distancing. These are a few things you should prepare yourself-

1. Being oversensitive to certain aspects of normal interactions
2. Over-reacting to people crossing personal boundaries.
3. Misinterpreting certain actions of others as we have become more self-conscious.
4. Making excuses to avoid gathering and choosing at-home-entertainments instead, such as Netflix and Sleeping.
5. Stumbling upon possibilities of anxiety attacks and such medical concerns due to the sudden increase in close interactions and judgments.

So, what might help us in these situations? I have come across 5 techniques to ease the social awkwardness-

Set boundaries and let people know what is okay with you.

Don’t presume what others are wanting. Some may want to get close, while others might want to avoid interactions at all costs. It is of grave importance that we give time as it will get tricky to find the balance.

Have the courage to communicate and start with smaller initiatives.

Accept any mental health changes and seek professional help.

Reward yourself for every effort and empathize with the feelings you are feeling.

Social interaction is an inevitable part of our lives and professions. With the increasing medical backup for fighting the pandemic, society is reopening its door to social gatherings and also the social anxiety with it. We need to be ready to accept any mental health issues that come along such as depression, social anxiety, mood swings, stress, bipolar disorder, emotional trauma or even PTSD. Let’s take one step at a time to open our doors to this immense world once again.

Habits, Hobbies and How To’s

The pandemic prepared us well for boredom and massive changes. Having habits or hobbies was one of the easiest ways in passing the quarantine days. Some started new gardens indoors, while some others took over the brush for paintings.

Post-pandemic is going to be stressful with all the office works and on-campus classes. These habits and hobbies will come in handy once again in the year 2022. Once my mom said to me, “too many hobbies are a waste of time.” and now I can assure her, it held my mental health like no other. So, here are 2 unnecessary tips for people who are worried about the stress of post-pandemic life.

Get as many habits and hobbies as you want. It might be your last chance.

Be greedy when it comes to Hobbies and Habits because not only they are a new set of skills but also a great way to balance the hectic life after the pandemic.

Many feel depressed looking at the extra pounds we gained during the lockdown or maybe the excess body hair due to the lack of scheduled grooming. But we also learned that these are the most worrying concerns of our lives. So I hope we all can flaunt our natural beauty and handle the year 2022 with hope and endeavor.

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