Seeking self-improvement amid the community quarantine
By Rosabelle S. Cubillas
After countless movies and fantasy
novels, who would have thought a phenomenon like this whole pandemic would
occur?
We have been overwhelmed by plots made
by crazy amazing writers and creators for coming up such unique and scary
ideas, but we never imagine being in one of those disasters created by nothing
but imagination.
After the massive outbreak of
coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), flights were banned, big events such as
festivals and summer vacation are canceled, public malls closed down, and
everyone was instructed to stay indoors. The freedom of going out; spending
time with friends; going to public places; and laughing freely are taken away
from us because of it.
For almost ten months, we did not have
the freedom to go out and have fun under the sun. We turned out probably
listless within those times. Feeling unmotivated with all the bad news that’s
been arising day by day but it is never too late to think about something that
we can do to be productive during this terrible time.
To anyone who is bored, needs some
self-improvement, seeking for challenge, and wanting to do something - I have
something that may help you!
Waking up
early
We all might think that oversleeping
will be some sort of rest to cover up from all the stress we have been
experiencing lately. I understand our body refuses to move away from bed but I
hope we can challenge ourselves to promote self-discipline through little
changes in our lifestyle like this.
If getting enough resting time is your
concern, we can start off with sleeping early. Eight hours of sleep will be
guaranteed that way. Set an alarm for the times six to nine o’clock in the
morning and slowly try to get up by then.
This simple training will help us
acquire self-control that we will need to practice our brain to obey to what we
want which can be a step towards being self-disciplined.
Exercise,
meditate, and eat healthy
Of course, a change of lifestyle would
not be complete without these three.
In order to maintain a healthy and fit
body, we need exercise. It can be any form of exercise you would love to do and
to what you think will suit you. Let us try our best to at least give ourselves
30 minutes to one hour for daily exercise for us to enhance and preserve our
body function.
As much as we should value our physical
fitness, our mental health sure takes a huge toll from our being. With that
said, we must do our best to make sure we get our inner peace to keep ourselves
intact. Especially during these times when everything is getting tough.
It enhances self-awareness and helps
reduce negativity in our body. It trains us to become better at dealing with
stressful situations and how we can manage it. It can also lengthen our
attention span and promotes emotional health.
Meditation requires focus and utmost
patience. It is a great help when it comes to increasing tolerance and
patience. We must consider meditating if we want to achieve a better version of
ourselves.
Lastly, eating healthy. Our health is
the most important treasure one can ever possess. We must learn to control our
junk intake and consider eating healthy foods instead.
A proper diet would be appropriate.
Eating with a proper balance to be exact. Lessening unhealthy food intake and
eat more vegetables and fruits that contain vitamins that our body needs. We
wouldn’t want to get sick right?
With these three, we are one step
forward to self-transformation!
Trying new
things and spending time with loved ones
While you are at it, better bring out
your potentials! Try new hobbies you would like.
May it be playing the guitar or any
instrument you would like to play. You can also get a pet. May it be a dog, or
a cat. Reading can also be a good hobby. Online e-books or blogs can be
searched of now so if you prefer them over books, it is no problem at all. It
helps us widen our knowledge and vocabulary. Gardening is another thing you can
do for past time! You can also teach yourself how to cook. A lot can be done at
home more than we think.
Back when everything was normal, most
of us spend a lot of time more with friends and in public. Now that we are at
home, let us take this chance to create fun memories with our families. We can
do our hobbies with them! Sing karaoke or cook together. Have little chats and
all that. We’re always busy with school and work. Using this time to bond
together would be nice.
There you go! A list of three things
you can do to improve yourself at the same time keep yourself busy and away
from boredom. Enough to be productive in the midst of the pandemic that we have
no control. Spend your free time wisely and let us be better versions of
ourselves after all this. (DepEd-Butuan City/PIA-Caraga)
Appreciating resiliency in the midst of storms
By Rosabelle S. Cubillas
It has almost been 10 months since the
outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Indeed, it has caused panic
and stress, and negativity has wrapped the many. A lot of lives were lost all
over the world because of this happening and we all pray for all of this to
end.
We have been visited by natural
disasters too such as flood and typhoon that has wrecked homes and lives. We
have experienced a lot of hardships during the past months, but despite all of
that we still found our ways to appreciate the little things that we should be
grateful for.
During these times, we need to
strengthen our resiliency. We need to help each other out. Help build
positivity to fight off the negativity.
We managed to put up a smile on our
faces despite all these negativities surrounding us, but it does not mean we
are being ignorant about it. We thank God for He has given us another day to
wake up. We appreciate the people who helped us all this time.
At the same time, we pray for our
brothers and sisters who are away from their families right now. We ask for
comfort to those who lost their loved ones and hoped for the best in their
lives as they continue living without them. We demand an end for their pain and
suffering and we are praying for help to the ones who weren’t gifted enough to
be sheltered, properly clothed, and away from the pain of hunger.
Aside from prayers, donations are
given, and charities were created in order to give them a helping hand amid
this storm we are currently in. We will be pulling up those who are down and
will try our best to give out help to those in need. We found out about the
importance of unity and sympathy.
We also learned how to be gratified.
For those months that we have been struggling with all these phenomena that
have been occurring around us, there are several people we will always be
thankful for. They are the people who are doing their best to ensure our safety
even if it means risking their lives.
Forever will we be grateful to the
healthcare workers who were never hesitant when it comes to giving service to
us. Starting from doctors who risked their lives in finding ways to heal as
much patient as possible, to the nurses that has sacrificed their time
assisting as much patient giving them hope that everything will be better soon,
and to all the other front liners that’s been doing their best just to keep us
away from the dangers of this virus that’s been surrounding us.
Resiliency is not something we are born
with. It is not just given to us. Just like learning our lessons in school, it
also takes time, patience, and effort to obtain it. To be able to see the
brighter side of things is not an easy job. Especially when we’re surrounded
and wrapped around with darkness and negativity, seeing the good side of life
is almost impossible. If you are able to be resilient, you should be thankful
for yourself and appreciate it.
With all these, we have learned a lot.
One of the lessons we have grasped is that life goes on. We must move forward,
and it would not be possible without everyone’s bravery and resiliency.
It is just right to appreciate each one of us for choosing to take on everyday heads held high. Let us be proud of this. We will get through this together. A better future will come! (DepEd-Butuan City/PIA-Caraga)
