Fear and Uncertainty in A New Norm

Our norm has become different. Our lives have changed and fear inhabits people. Our daily routines are not the same, we cannot go to work, school, or even enjoy being around our loved ones. Cities are on lockdowns and the world’s become a ghost town. Computers and phones have become our only method of communication.

Life’s stopped for a moment, but our humanity has not. It feels like we are in a science fiction movie, or at least this is how I felt it is. COVID-19 has invaded our cities and lives. Millions of people are sick and thousands are dead.

I had many plans to enjoy over March break and the summer. As my dream of becoming a computer engineer was occupying all my time, I was working hard on my high school courses to get the best marks I could so I would be accepted by the university I want to attend in the program that I have forever dreamed of being enrolled in. I wanted March break to be a week where I could relax and enjoy being in new places. I was planning on visiting a lot of places in Toronto I’ve never been since I’m new to the city. Everything was normal until the day March Break was about to start, then we were told that we were going to be off school for two weeks more than a normal March Break because of the virus. But the situation changed and those two weeks became months.

After Ontario declared a state of emergency, I started watching the news constantly, scared of missing any information that might be important. I started reading news articles which normally I don’t do, scrolling through Facebook and Instagram, focusing all my attention on what is happening. I was scared that my father would get sick or one of my family members or even me and I would spread it to all my family. It was a constant fear that never ended. It was so bad that I had a panic attack which it was not normal for me to experience such a thing.

On one night, I woke up sweating and hardly breathing. I thought that I had pneumonia, which is one of the symptoms of the virus, but it was not—I was having a panic attack and I did not realize it. I had fallen into the trap of my subconscious mind.

Napoleon Hill said, “Fears are nothing more than a state of mind.” I have let my fear of the virus control me. Usually, when we are experiencing stress and anxiety, fear starts to control our minds and thoughts. It makes us numb and helpless. It takes a lot of our energy. It makes us forget how beautiful life is, but one bad day, week, or month does not determine our future. Panic or fear can happen to anyone, and I’m sure that a lot of people have experienced it during this time of uncertainty, but we should not let it control us. Fear is more contagious than the virus itself. It is not the virus that got people to panic, rather, it is our minds that tricked us. We should fight it by being grateful for our lives and hopeful for the future that tomorrow will be better than today.