Discrimination, Racism & Superstition during COVID-19- How to Fight Them
COVID-19 is a weird time when all nightmares are coming true. Outbreaks generally erupt fear and panic which is true for the current situation. Additionally, its instigating mental health issues in individuals and groups. When people are forced to practice social distancing, it is affecting their socio-economic conditions. Especially for researchers, their meaningful dream of dissertation publication is interfered with. This is erupting frustration among everyone. As a cumulative result, people’s deepest cruelties are taking shape. COVID is amplifying the psychic negativities of human beings around. Each one is blaming the other for whatever happens around. Let’s look at some of the problems which are happening due to lack of mental health balance in people:
- Racism– Instead of uniting, people are speaking in negative terms with each other. Recently, the Black Lives Matter issue which happened in USA due to an accident, erupted a huge fire which was dormant so far. Aggressive protests started on streets and on social media across the world from those who have always felt marginalized in a particular society. Any group which has been treated as ‘other’ in an environment, came up with their personal issues, which in turn propagated the virus which again started affecting masses in those areas.
- Discrimination– Everyone is in a threatened mode of existence of news of the virus coming each day with more number of affects. So in order to protect themselves, people are dissuading from humanity. People are being irrational and rude towards a victim. Sometimes, those suffering, are being treated like untouchables in society; in some places, they are being threatened by the police as if they are criminals. This kind of negativity, instead of improving situations, is spreading angst and more fear.
- Superstition– Another bad aspect of COVID is that, people are blindly pursuing their superstitions. In place of pursuing dissertation publication, researchers and scientists are trying to understand the cause of the virus, however, in absence of concrete evidence, people have started believing that corona has come because Chinese eat grasshoppers. Such weird concepts and misconceptions are ruining the basis of fundamentals and badly affecting human perceptions and attitudes.
This is a crucial time for mankind; it’s a warning that nothing is in our control. Everything can change tomorrow what we have today. This is not the time to keep up conflicts. We have to keep away from negativities and treat each other with harmony. Only then, can we overcome this phase together. If we follow a few things, we can keep ourselves and the environment in a better shape-
- Keep away from Fake News– With spreading panic, more fake news and misinformation are being circulated over TV and internet. It is important to be informed but misinformation is especially dangerous. It spreads negativity, wrong notions and causes harm.
- Eat Well – eating good and healthy keeps the body and mind in good shape. When the body gets its required nutrition, the mind is healthy and happy.
- Exercise and Meditate– Good mind is an essential. To be positive, you have to focus on things you have; exercise releases sweat together with happy hormone. This is very important during a pandemic.
- Practice Writing– writing can develop your professional skill as a researcher as you focus on your dissertation publication. But writing also can be a medium of expression. Write out what you are writing or going through; this is very helpful in reducing negativity. Share your thoughts with others; communicate on media, express what better can be done to induce positivity.
This is a serious time. If you try doing a few of the above things, negatives like racism, discrimination and superstition will stay away. It is time to be more compassionate, rational and sensible towards others so that we can together fight this global pandemic.
