By Sudhir Nair, Gustavson associate professor
Covid-19 has now been a part of all our lives for 10 months now. For me the immediate concern was safety – how do I ensure my family are safe? The fact that I had parents and in-laws who were in India where the virus was far more widespread than here in Canada, only made it that much more terrifying. WhatsApp and Zoom calls helped keep us connected and I found that communicating become central to how I coped with this (hopefully) once-in-a-lifetime crisis. I use the word “cope” and not “adapt” as the latter word implies far more instrumental thinking.
Connecting with family and friends helped me cope and in turn I like to think that I helped others cope.
I ensured I called friends and family regularly and it truly helped. It was particularly challenging to have to talk to my parents and my in-laws in India while people we knew either died or were stricken with the disease. When things started getting truly difficult for me to even cope with, I found seeking counseling help was of great value. I am so very grateful for the fact that I was able to seek counseling to deal with what seemed like an impossible and almost never-ending situation. I have been telling friends and colleagues, it is that we should leverage the counseling services we already have access to and simply don’t access. There is an incredible set of resources available and if you haven’t already done so because you don’t feel the need for those services, I request you to please check it out. If there is someone you know who needs support, please be the person who connects them with the support they need. As the Bell folks say, “Lets Talk” – I request all of you to please just do that, talk to a friend or family member, even if you don’t think they need to talk; you just might be surprised.
