Covid Awareness

WHY DOES THE SECOND WAVE OF COVID-19 SEEM TO BE MORE MENTALLY DRAINING THAN THE FIRST?

The crisis of COVID-19 ushered us into an era of unprecedented change. During the first lockdown, a lot of us had to struggle not only to keep our physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, and financial health afloat but to also keep up with the new normal. For some of us, the lockdown presented us with the golden chance to reinvest our time in hobbies and passions. With the explosion of opportunities in the online space, individuals did not take much time to adapt and make the best out of the novel situation.

Although COVID-19 created the highest disruption of education systems in human history, online learning became a panacea for this unprecedented global pandemic and played a vital role in advancing curiosity and interest. Students decided to capitalize on this advantage and register for multiple webinars, internships, volunteering programs to gain knowledge and experience. Apart from academic courses, there erupted classes for extracurricular activities like dance, music, yoga, and Zumba- which kept students engaged and fostered their psychological growth. People displayed a spike in creativity and humor to battle boredom went viral on social media every once in a while. All this culminated in students deciding to utilize their time effectively and achieving personal and professional targets. Even working professionals enjoyed staying at home and taking a much-needed break from all the hustle and noise of the outside world. Reconnecting with family members by partaking in household chores (like, preparing meals, doing laundry, and feeding pets) and organizing game and movie nights helped one prioritize an invaluable aspect of life. The number of COVID-19 cases across the country started reducing towards the end of 2020, and we dreamed of resuming our social and professional activities outside. However, the arrival of the second wave in India shattered our dreams and claimed the lives of lakhs of people.

The second wave struck fear and terror into our hearts as we became more paranoid and hesitant to step out of our homes. It became harder – physically, mentally, and emotionally – to carry on with our lives in this new normal. Emotional exhaustion started creeping in, and we found ourselves having no control over our lives. Being bombarded by news of deaths and constant negativity that plagued our country, we were terrified to lose our loved ones. We followed every single precaution religiously as our lives depended on them. Healthcare workers battling on the frontline experienced the worst brunt of the pandemic as they struggled to save their patients even when they were on the brink of their sanity. The number of cases and deaths increased exponentially in the second wave, as compared to the first wave- reports state. If the virus was not hard enough to deal with, deadlier mutants of the virus were also found. If that was not bad enough, even children and young adults were more adversely affected in the second wave as compared to the first. To top it off reports have also stated that the virus more infectious now than it was during the first wave, due to it gaining a greater transferability.

It’s no wonder that things seem grimmer than they were in 2020, most of us believed that 2021 would be our year; we believed that things would get better. Students are losing out on the prime time of physical interaction with their peers, which helps them develop socially and emotionally. Covid-19 upended the way one worked and became synonymous with work- from-home - whether it was kids or pets popping up on-screen during Zoom calls; working professionals united in the struggle of having to juggle both personal and work responsibilities. The burden of maintaining a healthy work-life balance led to an increase in anxiety, depression, and stress and eventually now in 2021- burnout.

During the first wave, most of us were more worried about dealing with sudden changes and coping with the disappointments of plans. However, the dire situation of the second wave has brought with it increasing issues of hopelessness and frustrations. The second wave has left many with traumatic emotional scars and fear- even greater than before. Physical health is a priority more than ever, as opposed to mental health. Most people do not have time to grieve for their loved ones; they need to worry about not getting infected and passing the virus on to other family members.

In many ways, the second wave is more emotionally draining than the first. Therefore, it is important to seek help when things get too difficult and overwhelming. Your mental health deserves as much attention as your physical health. Finally, it is more crucial than ever to keep hoping and continue fighting.