DR AYESHA ASHRAF
DR Susan David, a Harvard psychologist, is of the view that the experience of any type of a crisis can be formative, “People who’ve gone through trauma or struggle in the way that we are experiencing now, that struggle can simultaneously be distressing, and there is enormous growth and power that can come from it,” she admits. According to her, when life runs smoothly “we become hooked into an autopilot mode of living,” and it becomes a kind of “social contagion”, as we all follow others in a race of getting lucrative promotions, luxury cars and fanciful life standards etc.
Similarly, Coronavirus issue is a time of crises for the world, but it can be hoped that the biggest changes will be noticed in the post-Corona scenario, which will contribute towards the betterment of the world. We hope to see a lot of habit change as well as the formation of some new good habits, as this pandemic will force us to re-plan the life that we had prior. It has contained us fully in our homes for some unknown time that already had started our reorientation in our relationship to the external world, to government, to the society, and even to each other. Some experts foresee a few unsettling or unfamiliar changes like will social relations be closed forever? Will nations be friends again? Will economy collapse? As we try to understand how COVID-19 will pave the way for our transformation, the present period may be one of those times when we need to devise certain plans in order to enjoy a healthy and free world later on. In fact this maximum isolation and disruption can generate a realization in us to re-evaluate our lives socially, mentally and collectively as part of a Corona-free world. In order to know more, I surveyed some people around me like friends, relatives and colleagues to inquire whether they would like to abandon their behaviours or habits after this pandemic, and most of them answered a big ‘yes’. For example an old friend of mine told me that the very restriction of not touching face helped him to avoid his childhood habit of nail-biting.
One of my colleagues hopes to resume her yoga class, even after the things get normal, which she has learnt online via some expert trainer. Collectively, our post-Corona mind will reconsider some of the priorities, which will shed the lasting effects on economic life. Such as my sister-in-law, who during this isolation, has realized the idea that happiness does not lie in buying expensive branded items from online channels rather the true solace comes with perfect health. She hopes now not to resume her addiction of designer clothes after the pandemic is over. “I just want that everything gets normal as the locked down city looks tragic,” she told.
Likewise, some other friends plan to discard the luxurious ways of entertainment including attending five-star hotels or fanciful vacation, rather now they want to cherish a simple long walk or an evening coffee with their loved ones. Out of this behavioural shift, they seem excited to resume the pre-quarantine pleasures but with minimum expenditure, as enjoyment is not bound with money. A friend of mine, who is a businessman, is of the opinion that post-Corona market will face huge consumer fallout, because people will start perceiving things differently after spending a good time in self-isolation. “Online entertainment platform is also predicted to face a considerably reduced number of consumers due to their changed mindset, and they will like to spend time amidst natural sights, outside their homes” he adds.
In the time ahead, we will realize the worth of spending time with families, kids, natural places and simple life. I, personally, hope to keep following the safety measures like maintaining an average of social distancing, use of disinfectant spray, sanitizers and a good, yet simple diet. The entire world is facing this misfortune but, by the end, we can still hope to welcome a positive transformation too.
—The writer is Professor at University of Lahore.
