Keeping Maslow’s theory in the forefront, if your physiological state and safety needs are fulfilled, only then you can move up the pyramid to think of your mental health and concentrate on being positive.
The declaration of lockdown after the Janata Curfew in the month of March, came as no surprise to every Indian. As a country that stood almost amongst the safest from the virus, to a country that has been widely infected by the virus, we all saw the declining graph. We were safe, until we stood adamant, not caring for our own lives, roaming around the streets like a 2-year-old. Our own actions pushed us into this deep tunnel of being locked down. It is horrible to think of sitting idle at home for almost 40 days. Even after the 40 days, would the situations get back to the previous hustle and bustle? Most probably no. We would still have the infection in and around us and there will be restrictions for sure.
Now, in such a scenario of surviving a pandemic, what I have heard the most is, stay positive, things will be fine. You need not worry; a positive mindset is all that you need to survive this pandemic. Positivity is the solution to everything. With all due respect to the positivity theory, aren’t we feeling that the talk of positivity is being taken over the board? Aren’t we already fed up of the word ‘positive’ being used every time? Well, yes, being positive and optimistic about the whole situation is one way of dealing with the stress caused by the pandemic. All of us here, are new to such a lock down and it is difficult to cope up with a crisis situation.
Let me address the elephant in the room, staying positive always, is just impossible. There is no human existing, who does not have a negative thought. There is a saying ‘too much of anything, becomes poisonous.’ Likewise, if we are so bent on positivity, it will prove to be toxic. With my knowledge of psychology, positivistic attitude can be used in certain walks of life. It cannot be imposed to put the evident issues under the blanket. What I mean by this is that, in such a situation staying positive comes as a privilege. Keeping Maslow’s theory in the forefront, if your physiological state and safety needs are fulfilled, only then you can move up the pyramid to think of your mental health and concentrate on being positive. For people who are locked in their houses with absolutely no issues with regards to their health – physically or mentally, who are getting ample amount of food to eat and water to drink, for them staying positive becomes easier. Imagine the plight of those who are forced to walk, cross states, barefoot, in the scorching sun, with the responsibilities of their families, who barely have anything to even chew upon and any water to gulp down their throat, how will they try and stay positive? In a country like India, poverty is one of the most surfaced issues. People, in their usual lifestyle do not get enough to feed themselves, imagine what they might be going through in the times of corona. Asking them to stay positive, is absolutely insane. For them, happiness would be only when, everyone in their family would have enough to eat and would have a good health. The concept of positivity is absolutely out of context for them.
Another section of our society comprises of people who are fighting a daily battle with depression, anxiety, panic and the like. First and foremost, majority people of our society, do not understand what mental health is, what do we mean by being depressed or being anxious or having a panic attack. There is a loop hole regarding the subject of psychology, that needs to be filled up. For individuals who face such issues, it is difficult for them to skip their appointments with their therapists and probably being locked down, would give them even worse symptoms. I am not against the idea of lockdown. I am against the extravagant image of positivity that has been coming up these days. If you say ‘stay positive, everything will be fine,’ to a person who is struggling to keep him/her self-sane during this period of pandemic, you probably are doing nothing but contributing more to the problem.
Sometimes, we just need to listen to the problem of others and then pass our comments of staying positive. Especially in such times, all that people need is somebody to listen to them. Somebody, to whom they can vent out their problems. We do not need anymore preaching of staying positive, staying productive, so on so forth. We need individuals who are ready to listen and who are ready to be there for you rather than someone who just runs around saying ‘hey! Stay positive man.’ Positivity, used in the right sense, has a really good impact on an individual, whereas, if one is always asked to do something as unrealistic as always staying positive, it would just worsen the current situation. Stop spreading positivity like a toxin, just be there for people whenever they need you.
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