Category: covid 19

Community, covid 19, Hobbies, Mental- Health, Personal Development, Self-Help, self-improvement, Success, Wellness

How To Build Auto Motivation?

dianangelika0607

17/01/21

These days when we’ve been suffering from the inclemency and consequences from a ruthless virus and we’ve changed our perspective to see the world and also our projects, goals and dreams have had to wait or maybe we’ve had to take a step forward and change our mindset and perception of everything. Then, I ask myself: How are people facing this situation? Every individual is different and there are extrovert and introvert people. How people who used to do activities every day, socializing and interacting with others, suddenly they had to change their routines and follow the guideline “stay at home” and “curfew”?

Probably for some people to deal with this reality have been easier than others. However, it’s clear that the monotony and routine trigger different behaviors and on some occasion mental diseases and disorders.  

I have a friend who had Covid-19 and days after he developed bipolar disorder (he had a history of this disease). I don’t know if that was a consequence of the lockdown that he had to face or just a coincidence. Luckily, he’s now in rehabilitation and recovering slowly.    

Fortunately, every cloud has a silver lining and just as there are wayward people whose actions go against the laws and rules on the other hand many people are creating strategies to motivate each other in a healthy way. For example, this week I watched a catchy video on YouTube called “The Wellerman” which is a sea shanty “a type of work song that was once commonly sung to accompany rhythmical labor on board large merchant sailing vessels”. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sea_shanty.

“Nathan Evans, a 26-year-old postman and aspiring musician from outside Glasgow, is credited with having started the “ShantyTok” trend with his rousing rendition of Wellerman, posted in late December (…)

In the US and UK, Wellerman’s surprise popularity is being held up as evidence of the mental toll of months-long lockdown (…)  the Covid lockdowns have put millions of young [people] into a similar situation that young whalers were in 200 years ago: confined for the foreseeable future, often far from home, running out of necessities, always in risk of sudden death, and spending long hours with no communal activities to cheer them up.” https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jan/15/shantytok-how-a-19th-century-seafaring-epic-inspired-a-covid-generation

This hopeful song shows me another face in how people cope with their problems. This is the link to this addictive song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UgsurPg9Ckw

As well as that catchy song I have seen other resources which help people to be aware of their emotions and address the current crisis using some alternatives through activities like: dancing, painting, singing, cooking, doing exercise, reading or assisting to virtual courses to mentioned some of them. Personally, I have developed some habits like reading, cooking and doing exercise. I love to do spinning on my static bike, I just play a song which has flow and I do my routines, when I’m on my bike my mind flies and my endorphins are released. Of course, all of this depends on each person’s preferences, resources and interests.

My fellas, I recommend you to use your skills and resources, we are all different for sure, but using communication and talking about your feelings and thoughts. If you have access to the Internet take advantage of social media, there are value information that can help you to deal with this difficult period and finally, I always write about this point but I prefer to repeat it over and over again: use your social networks i.e., family, friends, coworkers, fellows, community, etc.

Last but not least, I want to dedicate this post to my friend AD and all people who had lost hope sometime in this difficult time. Well, I wrap up this write for today. Have a good one.

DARR.

covid 19, knowledge, Mental- Health, Personal Development, Self-Help, self-improvement, Wellness

Every Ending Has A New Beginning.

dianangelika0607

01/01/21

The past year was a tough year and humanity lived an exceptional period with challenges, obstacles and barriers. Watching on the news all dramatic cases, statistics growing and many human and financial losses without doubt was a hopeless year. I saw different behaviors and the ways how people faced the pandemic situation and I noticed people who followed the rules and indications and on the other hand disobedient and skeptical people. Now, we have the results of all of that where there are more people dying, UCI collapsing and businesses going bankrupt leaving a huge social and economic imbalance.

It’s incredible to acknowledge that everything is real and actually it’s happening and isn’t a fiction movie. However, there are people who believe that all started in a laboratory and it’s a conspiracy. There are a diversity of theories and ways which try to explain all of this but the reality is that we have a massive issue of public health.

I don’t know why people don’t get aware yet, many underestimate this virus and its consequences, I know we just lived Christmas time which it’s a period where people have gatherings with their love ones or they just travel and change of environment after a long year with a lot of labor, academic and personal responsibilities and the best way it’s to get away from the routine of everyday life. However, our reality is different and we need to wait, I know each person has their personal issues and priorities but do you believe that is the best time to travel or have massive gatherings? I’ve watched on the news many people enjoying this period in public places but I believe it’s somehow to throw everything overboard and our effort that we had during 2020 and contribute to the increase in the number of new cases.

For example, Ontario Finance Minister Rod Phillips has resigned from his position in cabinet after returning home from a personal trip to the Caribbean during the height of the coronavirus pandemic.

Premier Doug Ford released a statement Thursday, just hours after Phillips arrived back in Canada, saying he had accepted the minister’s resignation.

“At a time when the people of Ontario have sacrificed so much, today’s resignation is a demonstration that our government takes seriously our obligation to hold ourselves to a higher standard,” Ford said (https://globalnews.ca/news/7548706/coronavirus-rod-phillips-returns-canada/)

Why do people go against rules and guidelines? This case is one example of many, I’m really disappointed and upset by all of this. How many more victims? Until when?

Today is the first day of the year and we start this 2021 with expectations and goals for sure, but at the same time with the challenge to face all the remaining problems of 2020. I just wish you happiness, wellness and hope during 2021 and especially good health. I’m completely sure that every ending has a new beginning.

Happy New Year guys!

DARR.

Community, covid 19, Cultures, Hobbies, Mental- Health, Personal Development, Self-Help, self-improvement, Success

Tis The Season

dianangelika0607

27/11/20

It’s November and we’re close to the end of the year. This year has been something special with a lot of challenges, changes and learnings.

I was thinking that time flies and I remember the celebrations when I was child and I was with my cousins surrounding the Christmas tree and waiting for the gifts at midnight. Also, it was a pleasure to see the fireworks and to play with the sparkles and other pyrotechnic games. Enjoying the Christmas carols and eating buñuelos and natilla, traditional Colombian food during this season. It’s really remarkable how those celebrations strengthen family ties and show the value of having special people close to us. However, the circumstances can change and at the present with pandemic time those gatherings and encounters face to face are difficult. In my case, I have a family far away from me and I have to think that our Christmas will be virtual and it’s strange, isn’t it? This period of time is teaching us to be creative, resilient and with a tough mental capacity to face those situations. There are people who don’t care about this reality but to others it is important to be close to their beloveds due to their traditions or culture. Nonetheless, sometimes it is complicated to have what we want for example: the last iPhone, the beautiful dress from the store or the trip to that stunning beach, there are cases where we need to wait.

Sometimes I believe this is a period of reflection and some people say that is a message from nature or the environment, where we need to change our selfish, violent and give a damn attitude. I know there are people who don’t care about anything and they have the most incredible and odd behaviors. From time to time I watch the news and I believe that I’ve seen everything when suddenly I watch another incredible headline with weird histories and I say to myself “That’s why this is happening to us”. I know! Human behavior is really complex but our environment and reality can help to trigger mental diseases. By the way, I invite you to read my post called Mental Health in Pandemic time that has relation to this topic: https://dianix.news.blog/2020/10/31/mental-health-in-pandemic-time/?

Anyway, Christmas is a time of peace, love and reflection. This year we need to make the most out of it, 2020 has been a year which invites us to reflect a lot. It’s possible that some projects and goals that we had this year will need to wait but I’m sure that we developed other skills and achieved new targets.

I believe that everything has an explanation and if this is not the case then it has a lesson and this year is a period of teachings, adaptation, reinvent and meditation for sure.

Finally, I want to dedicate this post to the special people who I know: my dad, husband, relatives, friends and global citizens. I wish you the best today and always. Take care of yourself in this last season.   

DARR.

Community, covid 19, information, knowledge, Mental- Health, Self-Help, Wellness

Mental Health In Pandemic Time

dianangelika0607

31/10/20

People are surrounded by an amount of emotions due to the fact that we are emotional and rational human beings. Each individual has their own identity which is like a stamp and those character traits facilitate the construction of interpersonal relationships.

However, from my perspective there are people whom their emotions overflow and many times show the worst side of humanity. For example, nowadays we’re in pandemic time and I’ve seen on the news and social media people attacking others because they ask them to wear face masks or using other measures of social distance and some of those people answering with hits, spits or swearing, being aggression and violence a reaction of them.

On the other hand, the isolation has changed our lifestyle and many people are working, studying and eating at home. Also, other people have faced the illness of a beloved or perhaps a loss represented in unemployment, death and instability. Therefore, there are some studies that show that the number of mental illnesses has increased due to Covid 19. “Studies indicate that the COVID-19 pandemic is associated with distress, anxiety, fear of contagion, depression and insomnia in the general population and among healthcare professionals. Social isolation, anxiety, fear of contagion, uncertainty, chronic stress and economic difficulties may lead to the development or exacerbation of depressive, anxiety, substance use and other psychiatric disorders in vulnerable populations including individuals with pre-existing psychiatric disorders and people who reside in high COVID-19 prevalence areas. Stress-related psychiatric conditions including mood and substance use disorders are associated with suicidal behavior” (https://academic.oup.com)

At the same time the statistics of suicides has increased too as well as the number of crimes and violence which makes the issue of COVID 19 not the only one we have to face.

Another problem is that the number of homeless in certain countries has grown quickly, such is the case of California in the U.S.; searching for some causes of that situation: job loss, drugs or alcohol use, divorce or separation, argument with a family member, domestic violence, eviction, mental health or release from jail.    

So, our environment can be hostile and it triggers a series of socially maladaptive behaviors. Then, how can people be facing all of those changes? People need actions to assume a new adaptation and reorganize their routines. Also, it’s very important to have emotional intelligence and impulse control. This is a complex time where people should have healthy behaviors. Sometimes it’s preferable to avoid negative news and information in social media that tends to show tabloid news. My advice is reading a nice book, doing meditation or exercise. A friend told me that there is an interesting activity like virtual marathons where people who stay at home run a treadmill connected on line in competition with other runners. Besides, taking advantage of social networks for interacting with family, friends or participating in webinars, meetings or virtual courses. Creating something new or perhaps developing a new habit or abilities. I’ve seen interesting entrepreneurships in this time. Besides, speaking with someone and if required searching for professional help.

I confess that I have reached my breaking point and sometimes I’ve felt frustrated and tired of all this situation and mostly because I couldn’t go to my country to visit my dad and loved ones but I think that it’s a trial period and it’s our decision to show our better face.

Humans are moved by emotions and our trial is to try to use the positives and left to one side the negatives one. From my experience I feel renovated when I cry or scream because it works as catharsis but on the other hand I try to search other ways to face this hard situation with the best attitude, I say to myself it’s just a period and is temporary, after that I take a deep breath and I go my way. 

Success is in reinvention and resilience, being assertive and socially responsible.

Finally I want to share some tips from The World Health Organization about Mental Health as complement to this post: https://www.who.int

DARR.