How To Motivate People In This Pandemic For The Better

Become the hope that shines bright, to help them believe when they lose all sight.

What has been the worst effect the pandemic has on us? It is the fear of not being able to live a normal life. I have thought about this a lot, and understood that our lives however hard they were before — they still were in the eyes of others normal. All the pain, anguish we had once seen, the people we had buried, the lovers we had said goodbye to — everything that screamed suffering. Now almost everyone knows of it. This has created a space where people are starting to become weary of their existence.

Perhaps it might be the reason why most people still don’t want to follow Standard Operating Procedure because they want to go back to their normal lives. But the sad, and no matter how depressing the truth may have become — we can’t. Do we really need to? as we have all suffered a lot in this world.

For some people I have seen, this pandemic wasn’t a curse but perhaps a call for freedom. Imagine someone who lives in fear, and the pandemic breaks that fear forever. Another retrospective can be, imagine someone who doesn’t but now after what has dawned on the world — they have started to live in fear.

Suffering is an integral part of life — we can’t seem to avoid it, even if we try not to. It still breathes in every step we take for better or for worse. It will find its way. This creates a sensation of fear — a fear of control that tends to disseminate proportions of hopelessness in the hearts of many. Even though we have devices — it still can’t help us connect because we miss the feeling in the interaction where the other person was next to us.

It’s been hard lately, as COVID-19 struck — I have observed my previous mentees who were deeply motivated to accomplish their roles, are now in shambles. Where many of them have been severely affected by COVID-19, most have been diagnosed with it, and some have lost their loved ones. This has become an extremely difficult challenge to encounter, as social interaction has become social distancing — the new rule of the modern world.

We all know how hard it is to stay motivated in these trying times. Though we can pick up hobbies, build something fancy, or plant a garden in the meantime. There comes a time when everything we could ever do in our free time comes to a pause. In that moment of silence, all the grief, misery, and sadness that has been kept away from our minds — becomes exploding wind-up penguins.

The aftermath of such a situation is dire, many of my mentees and people around them are looking towards a sign. Some, however, have lost the willingness to work, as the dangers of the virus have scared them to their core.

It isn’t just the same — online connections can’t replace that but perhaps we don’t need to replace anything. We can adapt, we can change the way we perceive the fear and the harm that comes from it.

We can choose to accept and follow the SOP’s and still connect with the people we want to be with. We can interact, and show hope that we are in this together.

If our heart is in it — the other person will feel it even if it’s online.

We have to learn to trust our loved ones more. We have to instill that same faith in others. We have to allow ourselves to not succumb to the fears of this pandemic. We are greater than this, we can survive this — together.

We can still offer our words, of warmth and affection. There isn’t much difference, between what we used to do and what we can do now. We can drive trust again. Just as we would work to make our lives better, now we have to do it together. When my hand is reaching towards you — outstretched, accept it. Do the same for the people in your life.

Stretch your hand, share your food if you can. Share warmth if you can. Share hope if you can. Share a lesson if you can. Share the strength, or better yet show that you can do this. It might take time, but even if it takes many chances — be the light that you can hope to change.

I keep tabs on all my friends, peers, and mentees. When I aim to talk to them, my focus is on their well being. I make it my goal for the amount of time that I’m going to invest in them — it will make their life better. And it does.

I celebrated a friend’s birthday the other day, a week ago. Though, I was unable to meet him. At 00:03 I sent him a birthday card that I made in Canva. The video surprised him, and it cheered him up. Make little adjustments for those you want to see motivated to ride these tides with gusto.

In March, When almost all of the world’s cities were in lockdown. I tried my best, to try going to a gift store or finding one in such a dire time for a present. The secret is, sadly my city wasn’t in lockdown. The virus hadn’t made its way to our borders yet. It was still silent, waiting.

All the media and the certain videos leaking from Chinese media outlets of how they were containing people with COVID-19 was causing a lot of panic in the masses. My mentee who I’m training in Networking(not the social kind) was unaware but severely depressed as no one would be able to celebrate his birthday.

These little things, that we have created give us hope — they allow us to make memories. Memories that build motivation to hope for change. But also to experience even if the world is falling on you. I managed to get a cake and snuck into his house from the back door. Knocked on his window, and he was startled to find me there.

He asked, “where’d you come from?”

I replied, “climbed the back door.”

He replied, “you could have told me, you were coming — I could have at least made arrangements.”

I said to him, “the best presents are the ones that give you a surprise — well here you go, Surprise!”

He while still in shock stood there for a second or few in awe, perhaps a tear or two as well.

I asked him “before you get sentimental, could ya at least invite me in. I’m holding all these goodies and I don’t want them to become stale.”

He replied in earnest while escorting me inside “well, you should have come through the front door, with a cheeky laugh.”

We had a lot of fun that night leading to the next morning. When I came back home. I felt good, even better than I was feeling before. I had symptoms of severe depression as well — the morning I found out it was his birthday. I have a condition of headaches that affect me sometimes, and in the end, I had fatigue when I had woken up.

When I woke up — I didn’t even know that my whole body was killing me. It was hurting severely. In a moment of struggle, I said to myself “Fuck it, If it’s his birthday today then I will make it the best day of his life.” — I pushed myself to stand up, it took much strength out of me. I got in the shower and then got dressed to head over to his place.

The moments of struggling out of bed with fatigue and demotivation is hard — but if you take it easy, you will make it out.

Why? you might ask — well the best way to motivate one’s self or moreover, an individual is to create an example that remains steadfast even in the face of indomitable fear. When you aim to push someone, out of their problem space. You mostly get the incentives to push yourself out as well — quid pro quo in the most hopeful of terms.

You have to be there — it is a sensation of belonging that the individual should feel. It is done by showing sincerity, faith, and trust. The words you say should mean well and by that I mean, they should serve as raising their spirits. Anyone can do just that — We all have a desire to help one another.

You just have to voice that desire to instill change in someone. It will happen, trust the process — it will give them the chance to rejoice on that memory for the time to come. The ones you will make with them.

A voice note can go a long way to motivate someone. Your voice should have the tenacity that your soul possesses. They would believe in themselves by knowing someone is looking out for them. You have to be that person.

We all have to make a choice. Either we spend our time, writhing or we pick our pens and write.

I will aim to do both at the same time, to ensure my words enlighten the souls of those who search for someone to hold their hand. It is a symbolic reference, as we cannot touch, or hold hands but what we can still do is show empathy, love, and respect. Creating an environment of trust, that fosters hope in every individual we connect with.

You have to be there, and be a guide every step of the way. Whenever they look back instead of seeing all the things they did wrong — they should see you smiling. A smile of affirmation — it is going to be alright. You’re going to be alright.

We can get through this. It only takes a few hours, to motivate an entire workforce. The best way to do that is by doing an activity that either fosters bonding or that enables each and everyone in a team to do good by one another.

We all need someone who can believe in us regardless of what comes may — be that hope.

Individuals at the end of the day, are not alone and neither are you. Change is done by bridging gaps, and holding hands even if we are unable to(now). The emotion of being here for another is the essence of motivation. Thus, try being more present in the lives of those individuals whom you aim to inspire. Take the step, no one will take to ensure that they do the best job they can to make themselves and everyone proud.

The Takeaway

• Create an environment of trust and moral support.
• Show empathy, courage, sacrifice, and zest.
• Do something impossible, like defeating your depression by helping someone defeat theirs.
• Repeat and Reflect on the process, and improvise afterward.