Friday, 22nd May 2020
Wow! Sixty days in lockdown.
That’s sixty days where we’ve all been trying to maintain our physical health. But what is this continuing isolation doing for our mental health?
This week is mental health awareness week. And right now, more than ever, we all need to be conscious of our mental state. There was a time when “are you okay?” was meant as a casual greeting but now, more than ever, its meaning has changed.
We ask “are you okay?” now not only as a greeting but also a check for people’s physical health, making sure that they are not feeling the effects of Covid-19.
But we are also asking more with “are you okay?” We are really saying “how are you coping?” “Is there anything I can help you with?” Lockdown has brought out a generosity and community spirit that was hidden a lot of the time.
The challenge is to keep that going. The challenge is to now allow “are you okay?” to become a mundane greeting again. If we keep nothing else from this, let’s keep awareness of each other’s mental wellbeing.
