The virus outbreak has changed all aspects of our lives no matter where we are and what conditions we are living in. It is a pandemic that has struck all nations worldwide and surprisingly, it has bring to light some of the important lessons that we should acknowledge and appreciate in our lives especially for those who live in Malaysia during this Movement Control Order (MCO).
1. I can work from home!
Drop the mic. Raise your hand if you thought that remote working for your job is not possible to back then. Guess what, you have proved yourself wrong. Internet is no longer deemed as a luxury but it is a necessity. Everyone is talking about this. How your regular hours of the meeting can be solved in a quick online Skype meeting or an e-mail. This might be a wakeup call for many employers out there knowing that their employees can be productive in managing their works at home and it should be an OPTION for those who wish for it.
However, this might be a different case for working moms juggling between the kids and chores. Our hearts are with you, stay strong!
2. Some people can be selfish while some are outright generous
Well, isn’t that the truth. Earlier, the news of the outbreak had unleashed a massive panic among citizens which the results had caused shelves of toilet papers to clear out first among other things. Panic buying at its best! Not to mention the seconds the news of restriction movement came out, panic-buyers stripped bare all aisles in the grocery stores. Causing even more panic among people who’s afraid that the food supplies will run out.
However, we take our hats off to some of the notable supermarkets in our countries which allow a morning time operation, especially for senior citizens. That is awesome!
So stop panic buying and buy only what you need because you don’t have to buy a whole carton of Nescafe to make Dalgona coffee or buying lots of Gardenia breads when they are bound to expire soon.
Remember when you are at the supermarket, make sure to think of others and be considerate.
3. Stay at home or stay at….
Some Malaysians can be so stubborn! Just #stayathome lah but no, they have treated this restriction movement as a vacation. This is a good time for you to unwind INSIDE your home. Many reports claimed that there are joggers out there spending their morning and evening jogging in their residential area. Please, please refrain from being selfish.
All of us need to stay indoors to prevent the virus from SPREADING. And if you do need to go out to get the groceries, make sure that you have followed through all necessary precautions before you head out. Wash your hands and wear your face mask.
And if you need to shop, you can easily shop online to get groceries or if your loved ones birthdays are near, you can shop birthday gift online too.
4. Lesson about cleanliness
We were taught about cleanliness when we were a kid but this outbreak has caused us to take our cleanliness to a whole new level.
Let’s be honest, how often do you wash your hands daily? Or wearing a face mask when you are sick? This outbreak has taught us about the importance of cleanliness the way we have never thought about it before.
What about social distancing? In a layman term, you need to keep some distance between other people approximately 1 meter away from each other. But seeing all these people rushing in and out with direct contact with one another is going to spread the virus even more.
Things that we can learn is to make it a habit of practicing good hygiene by washing our hands frequently with soap or with a sanitizer. And don’t just blindly throng malls or any other crowded area without wearing a face mask especially if you are sick.
5. Getting closer with your family
If you are a workaholic and have no time with your family, then this is the right time to spend as much as you can and savour this moment while it lasts. Understandably, this is indeed a challenging time for many families as you have to stay indoors. Please be patience and it doesn’t have to be so boring.
There are a lot of activities that you can do together like watching movies, playing board games, gardening, cooking, creating Tik Tok and many more.
So, families. Turn this restriction movement situation into your very own staycation. Practice social distancing outside of your home but not inside of your home. Talk more. Your family needs you and you need them.
6. Learn to enjoy being alone and what it means to sacrifice
Let’s face it, although some may enjoy some time staying at home, however for some, this is a difficult task to do so. However, this is the time where you can truly discover who you truly are and what you are passionate about.
We can see it in our social media news feeds where there are a lot of people who have tried out a lot of new things to fill their times.
You will learn that it is okay to be alone because you get to know yourself. If all this while, all you are thinking about is work, this is the time for you to turn this into a process of rediscovering about yourself.
You have been responsible to stay at home and indeed, it is true that this is a tough thing to do. But by doing so, you have learned to sacrifice your freedom to go out for the sake of others.
When the time comes and people come at you asking what you have been doing for your country, you will say
“I stay at home for my country”
7. Emergency saving and contingency plan
Some of you might realise that at this moment, having an emergency saving is really necessary. We never know what might happen and we certainly have no idea what can go wrong. Having an emergency saving can help a lot in this situation and to defeat the unknown.
In this challenging time we face, adapting is no longer a choice but it is something that all of us has to face.
Be sure to be extra prepared for anything and plan ahead for your financial situation.
8. Our Front liners are our new superheroes
They are Malaysian’s superheroes. Our front-liners that include doctors, nurses, polices and all authorities who have helped us in these dire situations managing the outbreak.
You are our superheroes and we love you.
They are men and women who have fought against this outbreak, who have sacrificed their times being away from their beloved families and loved ones. And we can’t thank you enough for what you have done for our countries.
Lesson learned: Stay at home. They stay at work for us, we stay at home for them.
It is unclear as to how long this outbreak will last but even in the pitch darkness, you may find that a diminutive light will shine the brightest in the dark. A fitting personification for a glimmer of hope that we all should have as we brace ourselves to face a better tomorrow together.