The world is in the midst of the worst health crisis in living memory. I am 40 years old. A middle aged person. I have never experienced something as crazy as this.

When SARS hit in the early years of the 21st century I just graduated from university. I did not have a job then and heard of SARS mostly from news on TV.

Most of the news that reaches my brain these days I get from my smartphone. My family is always close to an iphone or an ipad. This is our life.

Quarantine time has forced me to think and ponder about what I should focus on in life. Obviously my family and my work are two of the main things that occupy my time.

I am lucky to have a job that I love. I am lucky to have the opportunity to work from home. Others are not that lucky. Many people have lost there jobs. Thousands have lost their lives.

Watching CNN or BBC can be depressing. If I watch news on TV or go to any news website the sure thing I will find is the daily update of COVID-19 deaths. United States now has the most number of COVID-19 cases and deaths. Italy, Spain, and UK have thousands of deaths.

I try to close my eyes and imagine better days. The past always seems to be better now. I could go to any mall. I could eat at McDonald’s any time. I could go to the beach if I wanted to.

Now I can’t go out unless it is for essential services. The only reason for me to go out is to buy groceries. I am sure many people are suffering mentally right now. Loss of security in your job. Take pay cut or risk losing your job.

This is a peace time epidemic. World Wars I and II were violent and deadly clashes. The enemy was loud and seen. Covid-19 is an invisible and quiet enemy. There are no loud machine guns, no enemy soldiers, and no bombs threatening to obliterate lives.

The virus is quiet and deadly. It also brings mental suffering that cannot be seen. It is almost difficult to detect. It is here.

I do not know when this crisis will end. I do not know if I will still have a job in the end. I am trying to focus on things that I can control.

How can I reduce stress? It seems that many people are stressed these days. I am trying meditation but sometimes forget to meditate properly.

How can I turn the on switch off? This is something I should work on.

When I have a nap on a Sunday afternoon, I find it hard to sleep at Sunday night. I heard somewhere that we should try to sleep and wake up at about the same time each day even on weekends.

I have a tendency to stay up late on Friday and Saturday nights. Perhaps it is a psychological feeling of control or freedom that I do not have to wake up early the next day. On a Saturday night I am free to do whatever I want. I can watch TV until 1am. I can read a nice book until 1am or 2am. I can play a computer game up to 3am.

Time flies when you are having fun. I can be reading a nice novel and notice that it is 3am already. I will then realize to force myself to sleep or will feel sleepy by that time and concerned that I have to wake up in a few hours for work.

Such is life. I am lucky to have a job and I am happy to have a job that I enjoy. Life can be short and fast. I might as well live doing something I love.

Living in difficult times is a challenge. Different people have different ways of coping. Some people like to exercise. Some people like to pray. Others prefer to meditate or to eat. Different strokes for different folks. I have to find something that works for me.

We are in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic now. I hope the peak has passed. Only time will tell. For now what I can do is stay safe, follow the government guidelines and try to be optimistic in the face of darkness.

COVID-19 is the headlines these days. CNN, BBC and Reuters.com all have stories about the current COVID-19 scenario. How many people are infected? How many people died? Which politicians got infected? Who was the first royal to die due to COVID-19?

We are constantly bombarded by digital news. Is there a way to create a digital divide? The smartphone is many people’s best friend. We get our news and entertainment from this device. It is everywhere we go.

There are many things to do. There is no time to be bored. I can write. I can sing. I can read. I can wonder how some companies make money and how others go bust. There can be endless wondering and reading and writing.

I have started to learn meditation. It is not easy. It is just something that you do.

Sow what you reap

I prefer to do what I am good at. It is no use to pretend to be good at singing when I hate singing. I think this can apply to your work. If you try do something that you are not good at or try to do something that you hate, things may not work out. There are some people who say you should have stretch goals. Do things outside your comfort zone. I prefer to stay in my comfort zone and sharpen my skills where I am good at.

Multitasking seems to be a good idea but it can lead to burnout. I multitask because I have no choice. It is part of my work. If there are too many tasks, some things will slip. It is okay. Things that slip are things that are not priority.

For many of us the priority is the here and now. Some articles say that many people are short sighted. What is in it for us in the long run?

The smoke has cleared. It can return anytime.

Many trees got burnt.

Another day is about to end.

We are always busy doing one thing after another.

There is little time to stop and breathe and take a break and do nothing.

Time never stops even if you want it to.

This breath comes and goes.