March comes, “In like a lion, out like a lamb,” says the folk wisdom, but in 2020 March arrived with pride of hungry lions and did not leave like a lamb! It looks like the lions are in no hurry to vacate America and many other countries anytime soon! The hungry lions are in the form of Coronavirus or COVID-19 that spread across many countries with alarming speed. The Coronavirus spread quickly, as the infected business travelers and tourists unwittingly carried it to their home countries.
COVID-19 originated in China, the hub in the growth of the Globalization for the past few decades. It has trade relations with many other nations and moves outsourced goods and people across the borders. The Governments in these nations could have contained the spread by taking immediate steps to stop the travels and trade temporarily at the earliest, but that did not happen.
COVID-19 is aggressive enough that the average public and governments are perplexed about stopping it from wreaking havoc in its wake because there are no cures or vaccines available yet. It affects its victims within a matter of days after exposure and has killed an astounding number of people worldwide. We know now what happens, and how to avoid exposure to it. The Federal, State, and local governments urge people to stay indoors in self-imposed isolation in some parts of the world and with draconian lockdowns in others, along with instructions on hygiene about handwashing, wearing masks in public and keeping a social distance of at least 6 to 12 feet.
The Pandemic has created panic and people feel trapped by the fear of this disease, and are reeling from the shocks to our entire way of modern living. Our lives are suddenly turned into dizzying arrays of dos and don’ts, at home, in public, and marketplaces. Offices are shutting down, as are the retails shuttering down, except for those deemed essential services. The Pandemic is triggering uncertainties about potential layoffs, bankruptcies, economic downturn, stock market crashes, and the potential threat of a prolonged economic depression!
We are virtual prisoners in our own home, working from home, schooling at home, shopping online, and aching for this nightmare to end and return to normalcy. People are uncertain what the new ‘normal’ will be and what adjustments they will make.
So, how are people coping with this extraordinary event that has no boundaries?
With extraordinary FEAR!
We have very little knowledge that can make us sure about Coronavirus’s course, how long will it linger, when will it peak and subside, and what will cure it?
We humans have learned to cope with known and unknown situations, but the threat posed by this particular virus is jarring! It manifests in the daily little fearful reminders to ensure that our masks, gloves, hand sanitizes, and sprays are handy, and avoiding human contact!
Stresses, physical and mental, are lurking just beneath the surface. Physical stress comes from the overloads of extra work, cleaning, cooking, caring 24/7, and dealing with listless children at home. We are confined to our corners and spaces, with no face-to-face interaction with friends and no external human connections in public places!
The emotional stress originates from being forced to maintain social distance. Oxytocin, the love chemical that provides comfort, is in short supply because the family members are supposed to maintain distance, which means no hugging, no goodnight kisses to children, and no intimacy! All these external controls are putting individuals’ lives in a tailspin.
We are dealing with the ‘unknown unknowns.’ My previous article on coping, Coping with Uncertainty dealt primarily with the ‘known unknowns.’ But this is different. COVID -19 is an invisible enemy about which we have no knowledge or previous experience. We are facing a severe threat to our existence and that of people we love! On top of it, we have no one to talk to, swap stories and concerns, and to feel connected. Even the churches, temples, synagogues, and other communal prayers are shut down by the Center for Disease Control.
So how do we survive and keep our spirit and peace of mind in these times?
In times like these, it is human nature to turn to God as the savior. Although atheists and non-believers think of religion as a crutch for the weak-minded but is it? Or is it leverage that can pull you through really dark times? Call it faith, spirituality, or any other label that fits; it is the one thing people lean on for comfort and somehow making it through really harrowing times.
Even the most logical and sharp inquiring minds have to concede that there is something far more powerful, beyond our three-dimensional world, our limited perception, and understanding. We can neither comprehend nor deny its existence. But we know that this Force governs the functioning of the Universe in some orderly fashion, including life on our planet.
To make this Force fathomable, the Believers call it God or give it a specific name and a form around which we can wrap our brains to fathom and relate. We name the Avatar as Buddha, Krishna, Jesus, or as Goddesses, and saints; ascribe to them the power and potential to manifest in our lives what is beyond human capacity, and believe wholeheartedly.
Believing is an act of suspending skepticism and having faith that this Supreme Force can avert dangers and change the course of events to protect us. We feel hopeful that we will be protected, and all will be well. Relief replaces fear with relaxation by surrendering our apprehensions to the Supreme Force.
But how do the non-believers in the super-natural, all-knowing, all-encompassing God, manage the stress of such an existential threat?
In the ordinary ‘known-unknowns’ type of risks, logic guides them. The non-believers rely on scientific evidence, data, and analysis to allay concerns, but this Coronavirus-19, at this point, is so nebulous, so invisible, and so omnipresent (Just like God!). What would help them manage fear?
My hunch is that scientists and non-believers are conscious of their limitations as humans in changing the course of events and rely on hardcore pragmatism, understanding of reality, and statistical odds in dealing with their fear.
A common thread is that both believers and non-believers recognize the danger to survival, and acknowledge that they have no control over the situation. However, the believers deal with fear by leaning on a higher power to protect and provide a favorable outcome. Non-believers, on the other hand, accept that they cannot control the situation and, like a gambler, play the numbers game with an attitude of “Que sera sera, whatever will be, will be.”
Surprising as it seems, surrendering to God by the believers works just as well as surrendering to Destiny by non-believers! It releases anxiety brings peace and serenity by quelling fears.
How are you coping with this Pandemic?