What I’m learning from the COVID-19 induced Existential Angst

Thanks to COVID-19, many of us have lately started to feel greater existential angst. Not knowing when “this” will all end, when we will feel “free” again, when we will be able to resume travel, go to our favorite restaurant, when kids can go back to school, and (sadly for some of us) when we will not have to fret over job security and our paychecks.. In my view, these are legitimate primary-order concerns.

What about those little things that we took for granted? Like, getting together with a friend for coffee or drinks without planning. To give them a hug when we wanted. To shake hands with someone new. To go to a flea-market and touch anything and everything that caught our eye? To visiting Sunday-farmers market. To taking up a middle-seat on a plane ride when nothing else was available - Hakuna Matata! When or where did these joys escape?!

The bigger issue at this time is not knowing how long it will take for us to resume these seemingly small but immensely gratifying pleasures again. To be OK with knowing that we have no control and that adapting to this eerie reality is not a choice anymore. For me, I also feel a compulsive need to get more productive.. like, learning a new skill or doing something constructive (other than work), as if it will change or prevent anything in my current COVID-19 reality. And, I know it won’t. That said, each time I actually get more productive, I can feel a surging sense of power, even adrenaline rush, at times. I don’t know why but it’s a great stimulant or motivation for me. For now, this seems to be my antidote to the COVID-19 skepticism. And, I’m happy to find this as my dose of refreshment, indulgence, and solace. While we are at this: here are the three areas I’ve started to get more effective at:

1. Cooking: I’ve committed to trying at least one new recipe each week, if not more and experimenting with different cooking techniques and cuisines. My goal is to broaden my food palate and ability to get better at my culinary skills.
2. Writing: I am a communications expert by occupation and have always found pure joy in writing. Strangely, this is the first time I’m blogging though. Blogging is my attempt to improve my own articulation of thoughts, writing skills, and immerse myself in learning about new genres as I read more blogs and appreciate different points of view.
3. Microlearning: For the last many years, I’ve struggled with reading. Writers go through a writer’s bloc, somehow I’ve faced a reader’s bloc (if that is a real term)!? Sometimes, I feel shame for not being able to invest in reading as much. But I’ve also come to now accept that this is where I am. Good news for me, with so many different (digital) platforms to learn from, I’ve committed to spending at least 5 hours a week, if not more, into learning about anything new. It doesn’t have to be long; short bursts are acceptable. It could be 15–20 minute podcasts that I can tune into when I exercise or run errands. Or, it could be reading a news article, report, story as I start my day or before I go to bed. Or watching a video about something new I didn’t know enough about earlier. Anything new but intentional learning!

Let’s see where this new self-learning journey takes me. For now, this is my delight and my new thrill! What’s yours? Please do share..