#IdeaPlus

was the right decision to take. Now, it has
been more than a month since India has
been in a lockdown. All of us are slowly
beginning to accept the restrictions
around us. While following social
distancing norms and lockdown
instructions are necessary for us to flatten
the curve and win over this pandemic,
we must also take care of our physical
and mental well-being. Walks inside your
houses and simple exercises are things
one should do to keep oneself physically
engaged. Staying locked up in our
homes, with our mobility restricted, is not
something most of us are used to. This can
also have adverse
effects on our mental
health. Being mentally
engaged – talking to
family and friends,
playing indoor games
etc. are aspects which
can ensure we stay
mentally fresh. It is also
our responsibility to
ensure that the elders in
our homes – the most
vulnerable, are taken
care of. They would
probably be as stressed
as we are during these
times and we should do
everything we can to regularly
communicate and engage with them
and help them stay calm. While the
lockdown has prevented most of us from
being able to carry on our everyday
professional chores, there are people
using this to be able to prepare for a
better tomorrow. I learnt about young
doctors who were using webinars to
connect to other senior doctors and
enhance their knowledge. I owe it to
Doctors for being able to have a lengthy
career. They took care of me during all
my injuries. I saw this as a chance to
reciprocate for what they’ve done for
me. I shared stories about my injuries to
Following
social distancing
norms and lockdown
instructions are
necessary for us to
flatten the curve and
win over this
pandemic.
the young minds. I hope it helped them
understand sports injuries better. There are
valuable lessons for all of us to be learnt
here. This phase has given all of us an
opportunity to pause and reflect and we
should all use this time to invest in our
personal and professional development.
This is the ideal time to be planning. If we
are all able to structure what we want to
be doing in our heads, we will be able to
execute faster once the lockdown is lifted
and life returns to normalcy. An adversity
is an opportunity for us to be able to
bounce back stronger and better. I have
also been reading about how nature has
been using this lockdown time
to heal itself as well. The air
around us has been
cleaner, and several
animals and birds seem to
have found their habitats
again. I hope we identify
and reduce some of our
actions that have led to
unsustainable
environments. We have
only one Earth and it is our
responsibility to take care
of it and pass it on to our
future generations. Finally,
I would like to say a
message to the young
graduates who have just passed out this
year or are going to graduate next year.
The economy may look challenging and
jobs difficult to find. But don’t give up.
Acceptability is the key to adaptability.
Along with challenges, there would be
plenty of newer opportunities emerging in
this new environment and it would be
important to have a positive mindset to
proactively identify and embrace these
opportunities. By constantly upskilling
yourself, you will be in a position to reap
the benefits at the opportune time. I am
confident that the nation is safe in your
hands and you will be able to put the
world back on its growth trajectory.
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