Better Days

By Taguhi Aghajanyan, Yerevan, Armenia

When I heard about the spread of COVID-19 in one of China’s cities, well, my first reaction was, “Everything will be alright, this is not the first virus, and not the last.”

Then the situation in China became critical, and people were locked in their houses. Our reaction in Armenia was again, “Everything will be alright, it is not the Middle Ages, we have brilliant doctors and a stable medical system.” 

But the virus was spreading day by day. And the day came when we had to be locked in our houses, too. It was awfully difficult to realize that I was deprived of my daily activities: job, friends, sports, entertainment. It was a real physical and mental stress.

My first step was to call all my beloved friends and relatives, to be sure they were okay and to know how they were coping with this situation. Then, my bedroom was gradually transformed into an office and a gym. My family and I were working and studying from home. Even my mother, a teacher who did not like virtual communications at all, had to use Zoom, and send emails, videos, and text messages, for her online teaching. It was a period when all of us were looking at the world through the screens of our mobiles and computers.

And it was a period of fear and despair. I understood that I could do nothing but stay at home. Only in this way could I help the situation. On the other hand, the mass media hysteria was contributing to the increase of depression, among people. Every day, I read bad news from all over the world. Every day, I waited for me or someone in my family to be the next victim.

This constant state of fear became unbearable for me. I gradually started to understand that if I were to go on like this, I would never get out of my depression. My stressful state would not change anything, it would only hurt me.

First of all, I unfollowed all mass media on my Facebook. I started to appreciate every single thing in my life: the fact that I did not lose my job (so many people in Armenia did, during the lockdown), coffee breaks on the balcony with my mother.

The only way to survive these chaotic days is to acknowledge that the virus has become a part of our lives. Instead of being in constant fear, it is better to be careful, and think positively. Nothing lasts forever. Better days are on the way.