In today’s fast-paced world, we are constantly on the move, getting something done or trying to break new grounds. But with the on-going lockdown, spanning several weeks now, everybody has been compelled to stay home in order to checkmate the spread of Coronavirus. Lately, staying indoors and having lots of free time is starting to affect some people adversely. They are feeling down, and finding it difficult to concentrate or get things done. Some violent ones have reportedly used it as an excuse to unleash violence on innocent people and vehicles carrying food and palliatives and even robbing homes. While scientists and medical experts are working hard to find solutions to Covid-19 pandemic, the emotional toll of the lockdown on the rest of the population is so real. Fortunately, it is not all gloom because some people are also managing to keep their sanity in check. AMAKA OKEMADU went to town to find out how people have been keeping their sanity in this lockdown period.
I maintain my sanity by setting goals and trying to reach them- Afoma
In truth, am a bit of an introvert so staying at home is not necessarily making me lose my sanity. But then, I get over the cabin fever by taking a stroll once a while, within my close or go buy a snack or something essential for the house. In terms of work, our company switched to remote working, so work has been keeping me sane in that regards. I have also been doing other private online jobs here and there, such as voice overs to content generation in order to earn extra income. That compensates for staying at home, since I haven’t yet blown (become wealthy), I just set a goal and try to reach them, if in the process I become a multi-millionaire during this period, I don’t mind.
In terms of food, we have had to make several adjustments. Ordinarily, in my house we bother only with breakfast and supper because those are the times when people are around, sometimes we don’t even bother with breakfast but as things stand now, we are ten in the house and all of us have to eat. It is crazy, nothing lasts anymore. We actually stocked up before the lock down but still in the middle of stock up we still had to go to the market, which kind of defeats the purpose of stocking up, but we have had to make adjustments by cutting down on quantity.
In terms of my relationship, I’m so sad right now because the only kind of relations I have with my boyfriend is over the phone. We video call everyday but there’s a difference between talking over the phone and a face to face conversation. Especially, since we both live in Lagos and within twenty minutes’ drive away from each other but currently, we are experiencing a long distance relationship. It’s hard to break it, due to the insecurities on the expressway, street fights, attacks by hoodlums, police harassments and coronavirus.
“It’s been an equal share of boredom and productivity but creativity is keeping me sane”- Jide Akanni
It’s been a demanding season for me because the company where I work gave us a week off before the initial national lock down. At first, I felt like dying because I am normally the outgoing type, who enjoys chilling with friends, attending events and not staying home. I hardly stay home. So staying put in the house this lockdown is like the pinnacle for me but luckily, I was able to cope. I began by fueling my generator every other day to watch movies because we hardly have power supply where, I live. Thankfully, our salaries were paid in full, which helped calm my nerves. I was able to adjust with the cash, and it was during the first two weeks of lockdown, that God spoke to me. I saw the vision. It echoed to me that I have a fashion brand which I have been trying to establish for a while but have been unable to do so, because I work full time. He said to me, this is the time, the opportunity you have been waiting for. Since then, I have been fired up with creativity, motivation and consistency. I started working on content and within those two weeks, my output has been very productive though demanding. Now, I have so many ideas to work with that I just can’t wait for COVID-19 to be over, so I would start unveiling my creativity. In a nutshell, it has been an equal share of boring and demanding but am in the right frame of mind, am not going crazy, I have it under control.
“We do things together”- Ukayriah Obi
Formely, the scenario was “unto your tent oh Israel”- kids go to school, husband go to his work, wife goes to her work but in this lockdown duration, that changed. You may think the changes, would be very tough but the changes are what is keeping my family sane in spite the lockdown. We have been able to better converge together, stay together, do certain things together, pray more often together and discuss together.
Other ways we have been maintaining sanity is by ensuring we don’t spend any how like pre-lockdown, when you spend as you can believing you will replenish the pocket the next day. In this period, cash mostly goes out not coming in. We also don’t eat anyhow these day. Unlike before now when I could sometimes cook at home in the morning when the children are going to school and when I return in the evening, I would find the whole food untouched, and I have to make another one because the old one were not as kitchen fresh as desired. These days, after eating, in a space of an hour, the children will demand for another meal but I tell them to manage it like that because when you start eating excessively like that, you will end up exhausting the entire stock at home. My daily activities to maintain sanity is wake in the morning, pray with the family then do our normal house chores. Bathe, eat, rest for a while, read newspapers or a book, the kids start reading too, my hubby watches the news. We nap in the afternoon, eat in the evening, pray and go to bed.
“I have been maintaining sanity through personal development”- Boluwatife Babarinde
Well, in spite of the lockdown, I have been maintaining sanity through personal development. Reading books both spiritual, business, motivational and life mastery. I ensure I have good sleep, eat fine, do all I can to keep work moving and try not to worry or be anxious of anything but pray and put faith in God for all this to be over soon.
Staying indoors might not be an easy thing but with good habits, and doing stuffs like taking courses to keep one busy helps. My daily activities during this new normal consist of personal devotion, meditation, work, read books, online courses, eat, and listen to music and checking up on loved ones.
“I don’t eat much” – Olu Segun
It hasn’t really affected me that much to be honest, because staying indoors generally has always been my default lifestyle. Even when there was no lockdown, unless I have somewhere important to go, am usually indoors or in the office, which is my work space. In terms of free time, I am always busy working on a number of things. A lot of these things are on online platforms, so location doesn’t matter. For feeding, the only difference is that I get to buy food stuff in advance. I don’t really eat much and I live alone, I still have about a month or two supply of food, so in that aspect I should be fine. I talk with my family members via phone or video calls since we live apart. Although, the lockdown hasn’t affected my sanity negatively, am aware it has affected alot of people and I think their time will be better spent if they reflect on their life and decide to do something productive to occupy themselves, such as learning a skill or doing something worthwhile rather than waste the time.
“Before spending a Kobo, I ask myself if it is for a need or want”- Oluwatobiloba Fawole
Maintaining my sanity during this period is something very difficult to do, but remembering the dangerous effects of Covid19 I think the Lockdown is a blessing in disguise. I channel my energy doing important things I haven’t been doing due to work schedules, now I’ve been able to exercise regularly, read books, attend class online and rest adequately. Adjustment is necessary during this period, in terms of food, my stomach is on a control mode, my eating habits is different from the usual before lockdown. I have been eating quality foods rather than stuffing my stomach with junks. In recent years I have skipped breakfast on Sundays, but since lockdown started, I eat breakfast on Sundays.
Financially, before spending a kobo, I ask myself if the money is going for a need or wants. I also maintain sanity through staying in touch with my family and it has led to a tremendously increased family bond. Before, I only had time to see my parents and younger brother on Saturdays, for now we engage 7days, 24hours. To the extent that my younger brother and I do have workouts every day, something I don’t think we have done in recent years.
“We planned and strategized”- Emeka Egbuawa
The truth is that God created man to be able to adapt to every situation in life. Before the lockdown was announced in Nigeria, there was an underlying inkling that it was going to be observed here too because advanced countries were shutting down their countries to stay home. So for me, adapting to the lockdown and ensuring my family and I maintain sanity during the process was a well-planned and strategized effort. What we did was buy foodstuffs to last through the period and divided it into three square meal sizes, sufficient to feed everybody for the day and multiplied it by two weeks. We catalogued it from day one to day fourteen and set them aside. What happens is that at every meal time, we go to the food bank and pick a portion to prepare for that meal, because we had gauged our stomach sizes and needs. It takes stress and anxiety of what to eat off us and helps us avoid wastage.
In the morning, we pray, some afternoons we pray too, we read the bible.
To keep us socially engaged, we developed indoor game hobbies; we play ludo, cards and other games that we had bought prior to lockdown which we play to keep us connected in our distancing. We watch cable TV when there’s power supply or sit outside in the verandah to receive fresh air, do sightseeing or watch passersby. I frequently wash my hands to the level that I loose count how many times, I wash my hands in a day, I think it’s also become fun for me to wash my hands under cold running water. The lockdown cannot be said to be easy for anybody, no matter the status because it is not the most suitable way to live, if there are no coping measures in place to help one adjust. Anyways, the whole world will eventually be okay and like I believe and usually say- God pass devil!
