Life as we know it has stopped. Once this pandemic is over, we will all come out to a new and different world. But, in the mean time, all we can do is stay positive, embrace our loved ones - the ones we can be with for the moment - and hope for the best.
When COVID-19 began to infect the world, I was not worried it would reach Guatemala. I was actually hoping it would be contained pretty quickly. How wrong I was... (but I am still hoping for a quick and fantastic outcome). As the virus reached Guatemala, measures began to take its course in my country. The main one being quarantine. Everything was forced to close in order to avoid further spread, and then a curfew was placed; no one was allowed to be outside between 4pm - 4am. These restrictions are harsh, but now I understand how necessary they are.
The effect this pandemic has had on my life is drastic, it has altered many plans I had made for the near future, it has separated me from someone I love very much, and it has affected my mental health.
The first week was not bad, I was happy. The circumstances of how I was living were not ideal, but I was where I wanted to be and with whom I wanted to be with. The second week, these circumstances changed and the virus was getting worse. This is when my mental health began to be seriously affected. One of these days was seriously the worst, I hit a new low. But, once you are at your lowest, there is only one way left...UP! I looked for help with my loved ones and also decided that I needed a 24 hour detox from my phone and social media.
What I did in those 24 hours, helped me a lot and lifted my spirits. I began by working out and then taking a bath. During this bath I put on some music, applied some scrub on my skin, and then some almond oil, and sat there for about an hour. I felt completely new. During this bath, I got struck by some inspiration and did something I wanted to do for a special someone... I wrote a song. I am no professional songwriter and I know I do not have the best voice but I am proud of it.
After a healthy lunch, I sat in my living room and decided to play some instrumental music, followed by other ballads. I let myself feel every emotion these songs conveyed, I even shed some tears in some. Time flew by, I was in a trance and I loved every second of it. Next up, I decided I needed two types of movies: one to cry and one to make me feel happy. My choices were "Titanic" and the live-action "Cinderella". These movies are my go-to's and always ALWAYS make me feel better.
I finished my day by meditating for 30 minutes and saying what I am grateful for in life and saying out loud my life goals. I went to bed and had a fantastic night. Next morning, I woke up and repeated my meditation session, but then added some spiritual reading. I still had a couple hours to go from my detox so I worked out again and took another bath, same as the day before. Finally, I finished my detox by reading my favorite book series, Harry Potter!
My energies had been replenished and I actually did feel much better. A phone and social media detox is something I highly recommend to EVERYONE. Especially now that we are confined to our homes, it is almost inevitable to be on our phones even more than we already used to - but we must try.
In the end, it is up to us to change our mentality and state of being. Our thoughts are powerful and we have the ability to manifest them. Never lose hope and always keep your heads held high. Let's use this time to be with ourselves, get to know ourselves better, learn to love ourselves again, and how valuable our lives really are. Our lives are miracles and we are very fortunate to be alive. Hold on to hope, hold on to the light, hold on to happiness, and hold on to love. We will get through this.
