Never in dreams had anybody thought that this day will come in the history of human life. Ever since we were born, we have always found the world a busy place. Day and night we have seen people working like machines, never having time to stay at a place. But did we ever think that all of a sudden, the world will come to a pause? Industries running 24x7 will shut down, offices would close, schools and colleges won't hold any classes. And above all of this, people will fear meeting one another. The most commonly used form of gesture i.e. shaking hands will become the scariest gesture. People will label you as disgusting and irresponsible if you sneeze at a public place, some might file an FIR against you.

Did we ever imagine all this to be happening to humans? I really don't think so! Almost 3/4th of the world population has been locked at their own places doing nothing for almost an uncertain period of time. Being engaged, being busy is what we all have learned and conditioned for from our very childhood. Now this sudden pause has left most of us clueless. This is something that we never expected to happen. Off course we admired for a long weekend, more vacations, but not like this where we are bound to do nothing. Not even fun and chill with friends, no outing, no dating, no parties, no get together. Since all this happened without any prior information, none of us have got any chance to plan something during this lockdown, which ultimately is leading to boredom, loneliness, laziness and a lot more adding sadness and depression to the same list. So it won't be wrong to call this time the "time of crisis". Crisis of resources, the crisis of activities, the crisis of people. For many of us, it is also leading to a money crisis, food crisis and work crisis.

In this time of crisis, what comes out as the strongest weapon to overcome the crisis is our Positivity. Being positive in this time of crisis is the best we can do to ourselves as well as others.

Be positive/ stay positive/ think positive / bring positivity to your life, these are some the words that we always say or hear people saying to one another, but do we actually know what these words mean?

Positivity does not always mean to smile and be cheerful, but ‘the overall perspective of looking at life and focusing on what is good in life’. Remez Sasson defines this as mental and emotional attitude and focusing on the bright side of life, expecting positive results. This requires us to make positive thinking our habit, focusing more on the good and bright side of everything that comes to us, ignoring the negative ones and approach challenges with a more positive outlook. And to do so, we need to develop the traits of a positive mindset for our own good.

Some of the Traits and characteristics associated with a positive mindset

• Optimism: making an effort and to take a chance
• Acceptance: things don’t always turn out how you want them to.
• Resilience: instead of giving up, bouncing back from adversity, disappointment, and failure
• Gratitude: appreciating the good things in your life actively and continuously
• Consciousness/Mindfulness: enhancing the ability to focus on and conscious awareness.

If you found the list above still too vague, there are many more specific examples of a positive attitude in action.

• Getting what you get, and not pitching a fit.
• Enjoying the unexpected, even when it’s not what you wanted originally.
• Motivating those around you with a positive word.
• Being a source of the energy that lifts those around you.
• Having a positive future vision, no matter how bad your current circumstances.
• Not letting other people’s negativity bring you down

Here are some practical psychological tips to help you get more positive during Coronavirus epidemic :

• Acknowledge your feelings

One of the myths about positive people is that they don't experience negative emotions like sadness or anger. First, I want you to know that it’s okay to feel. It’s okay to be sad, angry. Being positive in a negative situation is not about avoiding or denying the problem। It’s about feeling the negative and everything that entails, owning it, and moving on in a positive way. Using negative emotions wisely can create hope and new possibilities. For example, a person might choose to view lockdown period boring and stressful as "an opportunity to invest it in things that we love to do.

Start working on things that you couldn't pick up because of the hectic schedules earlier.

• Take a break from Media

You should take control of the type and amount of news you consume. Don’t overexpose yourself to too much information. Remember that the size of news coverage may not equal the size of a threat. Try to find a balance between being informed enough to make decisions about your life, but not so overloaded with information that it becomes stressful.

If you must know what’s going on, allow yourself to watch or read the news once or twice a day at the most. Give your brain time to rest and avoid over thinking what you have watched or read

• Start the day with positive affirmations 

Plan your schedule for the next day in advance. Think about what would you like to do the next morning when you wake up- such as reading a book, plantation, working on personal skills, trying new and delicious recipes at home. If you look around, you still have a lot more to explore that you never got the chance to explore.

• Focus on the good things, however small they are

Being locked at a place and having nothing much to do will certainly not bring big things to happen. Yet you can focus on small things that are happening around you. Feel the air, its more fresh and light now due to shut down of factories and transport being completely shut down. The beaches, sea sores, oceans, rivers are getting ample time to clear themselves because of no human activity. You can now hear more of birds chirping than earlier. You have more time to spend with your children, parents, siblings which earlier was a dream.

• Turn failures into lessons and learn from them

No one is perfect, we ought to learn from our mistakes. But we rarely get the time to re-evaluate them and plan how to make things work in a better way. Now is your chance to sit quietly and make your future strategy to get success.

• Focus on the present instead of getting mired in the past or losing your way in the future

This lockdown is unexpected for everyone. We all had our own plans, cousin's wedding, a trip with friends, visiting relatives' places and the list goes on. Now when all our plans have got canceled we feel a little upset. But let's not waste this time repenting for what not came to us, rather focus on what we have at present. We have more time to spend with ourselves, enjoy our own company, listen to our favorite music, watching our selected web series, doing more of DIYs. Live the present, enjoy the present, otherwise, you will repent for losing these days as well, which is very rare to get again in our lifetime

• Find friends, mentors, and co-workers

From childhood till today, we have made lots of friends and at the same time, we have also lost many of them. We get complaints from many of them for not giving them time, or we ourselves like to talk to our old friends but never get time. So let's pick up our mobile phones and contact each one of them. Not only it will bring back old memories and happiness, but also help you strengthen your bond. Flush out the bitter memories if you have with anyone, give it a restart. If you are feeling low on something and want someone to help you get out of this, look for your mentors from schools and college, or you can look for professional counselors and book an online session with them.

• Do the things that you enjoy and that are good for you

When we are stressed we tend to avoid doing things that we normally do, including things which are good for our mental health. We all have activities and hobbies which we enjoy and which give us pleasure. As for your mental fitness, we can sit down and revisit our long-term goals in life, personal, family, and get a clear perspective. Also, start meditating daily. Start reading a lot of books and if you love writing, hone that skill once again.

You can focus on your diet right now. Pick up hobbies like gardening or dancing, which will give you a sense of achievement. The most important thing is to stop multiplying your fear. This is also the best time to enjoy your company

• Don’t obsess over being positive or happy.

This one may seem contradictory but it can be a bad idea to chase positive emotions. Actively seeking happiness can lead to the reverse effects. The more we obsess about our own happiness, the less we focus on the happiness of the people around us, which has been shown to contribute to feelings of isolation and disconnection. We all need to stay calm and focus on inner peace at an individual level. It is all in the perspective of the situation.

“Positive affirmations are especially helpful like “I am healthy today. I live a healthful life. I have control over my life. I am at peace. I feel calm”

• Reach out for help.

It’s natural to experience stress, anxiety and other emotional struggles during this global health crisis. If the feelings worsen or continue to interfere with your ability to concentrate, sleep or care for yourself or your family, it’s important to seek professional help.

You can take phone call appointment with our experts and consult with a trained and experienced mental health professional. Our professionals work with individuals to help them find constructive ways to manage adversity.

It is our human tendency to fall prey more towards the negativity, however, it is our chance to test our abilities and develop a more positive attitude in ourselves. Not only it is going to help us fight this present crisis but it will also prepare us for future challenges. So stay positive, practice positivity and spread positivity around you, this is how we can put in our contribution to the crisis.