“The times are filled with uncertainty. I don’t know when I can go to work again, if at all,” says a worried Sarthak when asked about his thoughts on post-pandemic work. Some people have been working from home while some of us have had to face the tough truth of a denied bonus, salary cut or the worst--job loss. It can mean different things to different people—while some will have to fight the daily battle of trying to maintain a certain standard of living, others will have to let go of some dreams for which they had been saving up or were planning to use their bonus on. This situation has mentally affected all and for working people things are getting tougher because they can’t say no to work and people who have lost their jobs are depressed about the difficulties they have to prepare for. 

Mandira a graduate from engineering background was laid off due to the recession six months after her joining. Trying to pay off an education loan, the job loss and uncertainty of the future has completely rattled the peace of her mind. She says, “If the lockdown situation prevails, I won’t be able to even search for new work opportunities. I am very worried about my financial situation that doesn’t  seem to have any solution in the near future.”

We all have different personalities and different approaches to a crisis. The randomness in life caused due to sudden stagnancy has proved to be distressful. Uncertainty around the future can leave one stressed, anxious and helpless. We might encounter uncontrollable circumstances that would lead us to think and overthink about different things like;

1) What will happen if the lockdown/situation doesn't settle down soon enough? This question doesn’t only bother the employee or unemployed people but the employers too. The ‘what ifs’ are nerve-racking because one cannot even plan for the future without a clear picture of today. This might lead to feelings of insecurity, lack of control and feelings of worthlessness, about your job, your family, and yourself too. In such situations, life seems to change quickly and appears more unpredictable than ever before. You might worry whether your life will ever return to being normal ever again.

2.) Even if things go normal, would I be willing to expose myself to the risk by going to office every day? Normal day activities like, travelling by public transport, booking a cab to work, having a street-side chai or snack, engaging with colleagues during breaks, sharing each other’s tiffin – would all these activities ever be part of our lives again? You might always worry about various thing--what if someone is hiding his illness? What if the person making the tea is a silent carrier of the virus? How do I travel in such crowded spaces? What is the last passenger in the taxi  was a COVID carrier? Will I ever be safe again? – all these thoughts raise the bar of worrying to another level.

3.) How will I manage my finances if salaries are cut or jobs are taken away? The most important aspect of this phase is – finances. With the economic downfall, each one of us is affected in some way or the other. For the employers or businessmen – paying their employees with no revenues coming in is difficult so they are laying off people. For working employees – they have to work even harder than before to hang onto their jobs and keep the finances rolling for their own good and struggle with familial as well as self-conflicts. For unemployed people, savings become the only solution for their survival.  Even paying for daily essential expenses like vegetables, groceries, medicines, bills, rents and so on have become a serious consideration and huge mental stressors. 

But since life doesn’t stop for anyone, here are  a few suggestions:

a) Look at the bright side: Opportunity often arises from unexpected and uncertain situations. If not, these situations help you learn to adapt, overcome challenges, and increase your resilience. You tend to grow as a person. 
b) Planning isn’t always 100% fruitful: Accepting that no matter how much you try to plan and prepare for every possible situation, life will always find a way to surprise you. A clear picture sometimes just adds up to the worry and anxiety because of the ‘what ifs’.  Fight these what-ifs by accepting that you don’t know the future or what will happen – this will give you the strength and a good chance to learn to let go and accept the uncertainty with a clearer mind and thereby counter it with the best possible reaction.
c) Don’t think about what you can’t do: Instead, focus on the worries that you can solve. Job loss, too much work, family conflict – start taking small actions to solve issues that you have control over e.g.; learning a new skill or working on your portfolio and resume or making a schedule to manage the workload or sharing the workload with the family members and so on.
d) Right sleep and relaxation is key: Choose any relaxation  technique that suits you like meditation, yoga, deep breathing exercises, dance exercises or the likes and set a specific time for them. Inspite of the worries and the workload, try and manage your diet and sleep to stay physically calm and lower your agitation and anxiety levels
e) Avoid checking  your whatsapp, or newsfeed excessively to know the COVID situation. It is good to be updated but being too involved will only fester negative emotions and doomsday feelings. 

Remember, the crisis and the worry about the future is universal and is haunting every one of us, but one has to stay strong and move towards the positive side in order to manage the anxiety and stressful situations in a better way.