“The closest thing to being cared for is to care for someone else”, this is according to Carson McCullers. Amidst Covid-19 Pandemic, it is important for us to take care of ourselves and others so that we ensure that all of us emerge stronger after this disruption. Below are 6 ways on how to take care of each other during this period;
- Begin with self-care – if you look after yourself, it is the best way to look after all of us. This is the most effective way to flatten the Covid-19 curve. You can do this by simply observing all the directives given by the government and the Ministry of Health including social distancing, use of face masks, washing hands frequently with soap and water or use of sanitizer. It is also important to take care of your mental health, meditate, be positive, celebrate and cheer yourself up.
- Share information and combat misinformation online– Information is available online from all sources and sometimes it becomes hard to verify myths and facts. Ensure you share information from verified sources such as the Ministry of Health and World Health Organization. If you notice misinformation avoid sharing it and if possible let anyone posting or sharing it know by sending a private message or commenting on their post. Also share positive news such a recovery cases from the pandemic for encouragement and spread hope not fear.
- Have fun while still maintaining social distance through video chats – Social distancing should not make you feel far from your friends and loved ones. You can consider celebrating a loved one birthday, anniversary and other occasions using tools such as Skype, Hangouts Zoom.
- Make an effort to reach out to those people in self-isolation – support them by calling and vide chat them. You can also send them funny memes or GIFs to cheer them up. Also, avoid speaking so much about their current condition lest they feel alone and segregated. Have them feel loved and appreciated and wish them well.
- Share acts of kindness – some families have lost their sources of income due to this pandemic, you can choose to create hope to such families by donating foodstuffs and other items to them. This will be a source of encouragement to them.
- Avoid stigmatization of people who have been diagnosed with the virus using their ethnicity or racial background. Also embrace back those who have recovered from the illness and keep in touch with those under medication and cheer them on so that they feel loved amidst the pandemic.
Reuben Kimani is the Chief Executive Officer, Username Investment Ltd.
