Utech Ling Muthiyantin & Deepal Bhandari Ph.D.
Yoga, GG
Yoga, GG
Why Now Is a Good Time to Remember
This pandemic is making our need to declare our inner !!
Posted May 07, 2021
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Reviewed by Lybi Ma
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Source: Anna Tarazevich/Pexels
As the coronavirus continues its relentless march through humanity, there are rays of hope with the recent approval and distribution of the first vaccines. But it may still feel as if we are moving into a season of uncertainty, with cold settling in throughout many parts of the country and folks hunkering down for the season. This winter is sure to look—and feel—very different from winters past.
Seasonal sadness and feelings of loneliness are common for some with shorter days. These feelings are magnified with the country in the grip of a coronavirus resurgence, with hospitals in some regions overwhelmed with the sick and dying, millions still unemployed, miserly government support, and anxiety about when safe vaccines will be widely available.
That brings us to “pandemic fatigue,” a sense of weariness from the steady case and death count and constant hyper-awareness—from washing your hands to wearing a mask to not being able to gather with others as freely as you normally would. Most of us have been dealing with this since early March of 2020, and the uncertainty of not knowing when it will end contributes to the sense of fatigue. Add to this fears of shutdowns—cutting us off from family, friends, and the places we love at a time when most people are drawn together by ritual and tradition—and it might seem as if we’re headed into the longest winter ever.
The pandemic affects more than our physical health—it can wear us down mentally as well. This is especially true for women globally. Women are 58 percent of the workforce, for millions of people worldwide, the vast majority of them women. According to a study from Columbia University’s Global Women Initiative, women in mid-adolescent America have had to learn that they can negotiate for their economic and professional needs through direct communication, networking, and providing advice. These are hard-earned experiences that many would rather not have to have to deal with today.
But the pandemic is not the only challenge facing women globally. Another important topic is dowry, or the practice of arranging for children to be cared for. In India, 63 percent of women between the ages of 18-24 years of age said they had no money to buy sanitary pads or other basics. In mid-March, Women Against dowry (WAM) had launched a movement to curb women’s preference for long sleeves, which has grown during the pandemic.
Also, in the U.S., 79 percent of young men from high school to college level said they would be willing to work on making the case for alms and orphans during the pandemic, although they still objected to the idea of widows and orphans.
All of this indicates a need for a strong central organizing force to counter the generalizations that have conditioned our behavior, and bring us into the fold of our fellow travelers during this pandemic. A talented media and social media consultant could help us do just that.