Time to stop blaming Covid for things going wrong

Months ago, when this pandemic started, I was so health-conscious. I’d avoid processed food, do my stretches, especially before going to bed, and try to do something that I enjoy as often as possible.

For example, I would rarely eat crisps, stick only to dark chocolates if I needed to eat something sweet and I always got into some form of exercise, usually walking for at least an hour and half and stretching before sleeping. Plus in 2017 I started to paint again after being given a sketchbook and watercolour set I always wanted.

But in the last 3 to 4 months, like a lot of people, I haven’t moved much, after all where was there to go and how much can one move in a small space? So I’d plonk myself in front of the television flipping from one channel to the next and gulping down coffee all day. I also started eating chocolates, any chocolates every single day and as far as the painting goes, that hasn’t happened in months.

Since this pandemic thing is on all our minds, we’re all probably going about our business stunned, confused, anxious and very fearful. Boy are we anxious and fearful because we don’t know how many more cases will be reported tomorrow. I don’t know about you but even before I’m out of bed in the mornings I turn on my device and check the chart to see how the UAE curve is changing. Is it still rising? Is it falling? Is it flattening? We see the number of cases fall, we feel a tiny bit of relief. But when it spikes, we get that sinking feeling, like we’re stuck in a hamster wheel going round and round and round, wondering if it’s ever going to stop.

There are many sleepless nights where we frequently wake up in the middle of the night unable to go back to sleep. I don’t know about you but I’ve had disturbing dreams every night since this pandemic hit the UAE. The stress is unbearable and nothing we can do will ever alleviate that stress.

I have started walking but I can tell you that, because I self-isolated and didn’t go out for more than two months, even for shopping, the first time walking was very difficult because I’m sure I had a little bit of muscle atrophy. And being isolated at home doesn’t exactly do wonders for your immune system. In fact, it does exactly the opposite!

I still haven’t painted and I stopped drawing again about a month ago because, I mean, who wants to paint or draw a picture that will forever remind them of this pandemic and all the horrible things associated with it?

And as for eating junk food, munching on chocolates and salty snacks, and gulping down sugary, fizzy drinks and it being bad for my health etc, I now think, who cares? I’ll bet there are thousands across the world who think the same.

There are nervous eaters who eat regardless of whether it’s good for them or not or whether they’re hungry or not. And then there are people who cannot eat at all when they are nervous.

The pandemic has made people more unhealthy because of the extreme stress they are now under. Let’s be absolutely honest and dispel one common phobia associated with Covid. If people feel unwell for any reason, it is not always because of the virus, although their brain might tell them it is as a result of the phobia they are now experiencing.

I’d tell people to chill out and take it easy but I can’t. I haven’t been able to chill out myself for more than a few minutes. Sometimes I forget what’s happening for around five minutes and then I only have to turn on the TV and accidentally land on a news channel, to realise this is not some bad dream. Then my mind just keeps drifting back to what it was like this time last year or even in January or February of this year before Covid. Then I sort of kick myself for being down back then about something of no consequence whatsoever. Good times, that’s what they were! Then I promise myself to be more appreciative of life, our good health and peace of mind, if things ever return to normal.

About three weeks ago when we were self-isolating, we were ordering in our groceries. I started to get fed up of the shop not being able to understand what we needed or not having the items we wanted. We also got fed up of waiting all day for the shopping to arrive. In fact it was that tipping point that pushed us to go to the supermarket ourselves.

At one point, the shop sent me a picture of the range of soaps they stocked and asked me which colour I wanted to which I replied, “I don’t care. Just surprise me.”