Silver linings

Mental Health

Covid-19 is punching us right in the face . People get ill and die, healthcare systems are overwhelmed, employees are losing their jobs, schools are closed, families are struggling, companies are facing bankruptcy, stock markets are collapsing and countries are spending billions on bailouts and medical aid.

We are trapped in a situation impacting our work, finances, relationships and social life. One way or another, this period is challenging and difficult for all of us. This virus and everything that comes with it is out of our control, but how we respond to it, is not. No matter how serious and sad all of this really is, we can choose to sit and dwell on it or we can try to make the best of what the crisis is giving us. “No matter the forecast, every cloud has a silver lining.”

It can be time. Time to spend on things we never had the time for. Or maybe just time to do nothing at all. Time to take better care of ourselves. Time to exercise. Time to cook more fresh meals. Time to reflect and reconsider on what we do, how we do it, why we do it and who we share it with. Time to rethink our habits and routines. We might even consider keeping some of the changes we were forced to make?

It can be reconnecting. Not being able to visit friends and family has increased loneliness but since we are all in this together, we are finding new ways to connect, and we are creating more social coherence. Lazy communications through text messages are being replaced with real-world conversations again. Who would have thought that we would be singing together from our windows and balconies? Maybe we’ve been doing it all wrong? Maybe the coronavirus is teaching us how to be human again.

It can be acceptance. Realising how moderate the role is we play on this planet and accepting that things don’t always go our way, no matter how well prepared and organised we are.

It can be a rainbow in the sky, a smile from a stranger, a home-made cookie, a postcard in the mail. Silver linings can be anything we want them to be.

This virus and everything that comes with it is out of our control, but how we respond to it, is not.Evi Van Acker

For me, it’s all of the above and above all introspection. I am used to being in a hurry and to combine a busy working schedule with regular gym appointments and an even busier social calendar. Covid-19 has forced me to take ten steps back and to put things in perspective. Being a perfectionist, I always try to do things within the best of my abilities. I can spend hours and hours getting lost in detail, often at the expense of things that matter much more. I’m going to try to hold on tighter to all that am lucky to have and to everyone I am lucky to share life with.

Life is what we make it. Stay positive, keep evolving and keep looking for your silver linings. They remind us of the beauty in life, despite it being sometimes very hard and confusing.

Stay safe, Evi Van Acker