The initial panic and caution around Covid-19 pushed almost everyone to involuntarily stay in their residences for extended amounts of time. Granted, this was quite the adjustment. An arduous task for some who, suddenly had to confront the realities of daily living without the distraction of commute or travel. They suddenly had to navigate conversations without the ever-trusted fuel of liquor. They suddenly had to spend more than a weekend with their children and spouses; what an uphill task to even find conversation leave alone humor! They suddenly had to sit with themselves and confront their mortality because the beginning of Covid-19 was very scary what with having people indiscriminately drop dead like flies. Yet in that same time, there were people who were glad to be peacefully sequestered in their homes thriving in the silence with all the social pressures to interact completely erased.
Usikwame tu hivo kama kamenuka, ongea usaidike juu hii maisha ni kusaidiana, leo ni wewe kesho itakuwa mimi.
To completely shut out the world is both a thing to be admired and feared in equal measure. On the one hand, ingenious creations and solutions can be the result of concentrated periods of solitude that allow the mind to harness its best abilities. On the other hand, extended solitude allows the same mind to wander down a rabbit hole to a dark abyss that some are unable to pull themselves out of. There are some people who retreated into themselves during the lockdown who have never come out… and most likely never will. This could be attributed to many reasons such as alcohol or drug use, childhood trauma, low self-esteem, emotional and/or physical abuse. The result of which could manifest in self-destructive behaviour that may look like always procrastinating, sleeping poorly, being late, cancelling meetings, taking short cuts, kamataing more bottles than necessary, not exercising, staying in that relationship that doesn’t honour you, unhealthy eating, pushing people away or spending too much (splurging or retail therapy as the good ladies like referring to it) etc. In isolation, the afore-mentioned are no cause for alarm but cumulatively, extended periods of engaging in self-destructive behaviour and making them habits could signal the use of these behaviours as a form of coping mechanism to deal with pressure and stress. Coupled with rampant uncertainty, unemployment and the endless social demands this could be a recipe for disaster.
The aftershocks of Covid-19 on the economy are still reverberating making life harder than it needs to be for most. Few of us, if any, would care to admit when we are struggling or have run into a parched season of life. While it may be easy to shrug off some of the afore-mentioned self-destructive behaviours as a passing cloud, it is important to pay attention to the patterns and interrogate them. The struggle is very real for many, there is no shame in seeking help from family and friends from time to time while figuring things out. Help looks a lot different for various folk and for some it could look like a soft loan from a friend or sibling, moving back home till you can make rent again or taking leave from work and resting. For others, help may be: going for therapy, friends/family cooking for you and ensuring you’re well-fed and sleeping well or moving in with a friend as you transition from the toxic relationship, hook up to a job or gig etc. All this to say that usikwame tu hivo kama kamenuka,ongea usaidike juu hii maisha ni kusaidiana, leo ni wewe kesho itakuwa mimi.