Broadview Psychology

Broadview Psychology

Light in Times of Darkness

By

By Lynn Nguyen

Whether you are watching TV, scrolling through social media or listening on a streaming service, it has been near impossible these past few months to use technology without encountering the words COVID-19 or Coronavirus. While it is important to keep yourself informed on the subject matter, the constant intake of COVID-19 information may pile on to the ever-growing sense of pandemic fatigue and hopelessness that many of us are experiencing. During times of fear and uncertainty, it can seem invalidating and futile to find the “silver lining”, especially with the daily deluge of negative news we are bombarded with. And consuming positive news has been associated with increased feelings of community, hope and optimism.

In these distressing times, here are some examples of how kindness has prevailed.

  • More than eight thousand volunteers have applied to offer mental health support for adults and children
  • A local farm in New Brunswick has donated 1,650 pounds of chicken to help feed hundreds of people.
  • Corporations and community members implemented various initiatives to help vulnerable populations:
    • Grocery stores have reserved shopping hours for seniors and people living with disabilities.
    • More than 800 volunteers have stepped up to grocery shop for 175 low income and vulnerable seniors daily.
    • Students are stepping up to keep isolated seniors company through phone conversations.
  • Seven thousand people volunteered for CRA’s call centre to answer questions about CERB. A volunteer reported that Canadians were respectful and polite in their queries, despite their stress and feelings of uncertainty.
  • The compassion of the community has not been unnoticed. In fact, Toronto-based companies are giving free chocolates to Canadians showing acts of kindness.
  • Government organizations, corporations, small businesses and community members are stepping up to show appreciation for frontline workers. Some examples include:

While humankind brightens the world with their acts of kindness, the Earth is becoming cleaner as air pollution decreases in countries all around the world.

India’s carbon emissions fell by 15% in March and 30% in April. The first decrease in carbon emission this country has experienced in four decades. As a result, after more than 30 years, the peaks of the Himalayas finally resurfaced its breath-taking view to the people in Punjab.

As boats and gondolas are at a standstill, dolphins, jelly fishes, octopuses and other aquatic life have been spotted in Venice’s canals.  Italy is not the only country experiencing this phenomenon. Wild animals have been spotted in suburban areas in various countries such as the U.S, Chile, Wales, and India.

These effects are also seen in Canada, as cities like Toronto and Montreal experienced a decrease in nitrogen dioxide levels of more than 30 percent. This temporary drop in air pollution can have a positive impact on human health by decreasing triggers for asthma attacks, heart attacks, and strokes.

These stories remind me that there is still hope, strength, and resilience that we can share to cope with these uncertain and challenging times. We are all in this together and you are not alone. I would like to end with a dialectical twist to the words of Og Mandino, “I will love the light for it shows me the way, yet and I will endure the darkness because it shows me the stars.”

For more stories, please visit the following websites:

COVID Kindness
Good News Network
SomeGoodNews

Images

Fewings, N. (2021). Hope. UnSplash. https://unsplash.com/photos/ioNNsLBO8hE.

Kumar, B., & Kataria, S. (2020). Video comparison of India’s Air Quality. REUTERS. https://graphics.reuters.com/CLIMATE-CHANGE/CORONAVIRUS-POLLUTION/jznvngjyplm/index.html.