Staying strong in the face of COVID-19

“When life seems to be in a constant state of frenzy, flowers can provide us with a much-needed moment of calm” – Dr. Erin Largo-Wight, PhD Associate Professor of University of North Florida’s Department of Public Health

The past recent months have been tough for everyone due to the outbreak of COVID-19 (coronavirus). Frontline medical workers, small and medium enterprises, businesses, banks and individuals have all been directly impacted by COVID-19.

In the midst of widespread disruption and economic recession, it’s tough to go about one’s daily life with lockdowns happening globally and in Singapore – stricter measures have just been announced in a bid to stop the spread of the coronavirus. However what we must remember to do is stay calm and positive, in order to beat COVID-19 together.

While it’s easy to get caught up in anxiety and worry during this period, receiving or making a flower delivery can help calm us down and provide the much needed relief we need. Read on to find out what you can do to stay positive during this stressful period.

What is Covid-19

COVID-19 is a respiratory disease with common symptoms including fever, tiredness and dry cough, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO). These include persistent pain or pressure in the chest, mental confusion or low responsiveness to stimuli, as well as bluish tinge to the lips or face.

Some may also experience shortness of breath, sore throat and general aches and pains. Various media outlets have reported that there is evidence that a loss of smell or taste can also be a symptom. Symptoms may appear two to 14 days after exposure to the novel coronavirus, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

COVID-19 does not only infects the more vulnerable such as the young and elderly, but can affect people of all ages. Most confirmed cases would have developed mild to severe symptoms but reports have been showing that there is evidence of more asymptomatic patients who might unknowingly carry and as such, spread the disease. Most fatalities occur when the patient may have underlying or pre-existing medical conditions such as asthma, diabetes and heart disease. These groups have a higher risk of developing severe disease and death, said WHO.

How does COVID-19 affect our current daily lives?

It goes without saying that the world is facing a huge crisis. Global economic recessions, panic buying and widespread fear is felt across the globe. It’s thus important to stay socially responsible and positive during this period.

If you have a fever, difficulty breathing or other symptoms, please wear a surgical mask, seek medical attention promptly and reveal your recent travel history. Most countries have adopted the method of contact tracing which is vital in minimising and preventing the further spread of the coronavirus. Equally important is the fact that if you’re not feeling well, one ought to stay home and self-isolate as much as possible. That includes maintaining a distance from your family members even in the same household.

Every little effort counts. Many countries such as the United Kingdom, Italy, Spain and other parts of the world have enacted forced lockdowns to minimise movement amongst its citizens in an attempt to curb the spread. In Singapore, the Government has just implemented stricter measures on how to minimise social gatherings and the closure of many entertainment and non-essential services. They have also issued firm advice to “Stay home”.

This means that those without any essential need to go out should be socially responsible as everyone plays an important role in slowing the spread of the virus. Telecommuting for work is taking place globally, with companies allowing employees to work from home. Online-based learning is in place for children, as schools are closed. Supermarkets are crowded with worried citizens engaging in panic buying for fear of a lockdown.

Here’s some tips on how to play your part in being socially responsible:

• Stay home (unless necessary)
• Do not engage in panic buying, buy only what is needed
• Do not spread fake news
• Practice good hygiene
• Seek medical and prompt assistance if needed

So how does one stay positive during this period?

We know it’s not easy for everyone right now. You could be worried about yourself, a family member, a loved one or even your business. Governments around the world are trying their best to help every individual but their help can only go so far – the onus is up to us to stay positive during this trying time.

Staying home may prove to be stressful for some, with increased tensions in the home sphere due to being in constant close proximity with your family members. Alternatively, it could the inconvenience caused because of telecommuting from home. Or it could simply be the boredom and stress of not being able to head out and meet your friends to hang out.

If you’re stressed and worried about how to stay positive, why not consider ordering some flowers online? Flowers are great for therapy and making one feel more positive. In a separate article about flower therapy, we talked about how flowers stir up positive emotions in individuals and serve as great mood lifters. Research has also proven that blooms enrich our lives and reduce the stress levels in our lives.

Physical florist stores might be closed but thankfully, you can still your flowers by ordering online. Seeing physical blooms in your home will not only help brighten up your surroundings but also, serve as an important reminder to stay positive and have hope for the future. The flower bouquet delivery will be something you can look forward to receiving and displaying in your home.

Else, why not spread the joy and surprise a loved one that’s not staying with you with a bouquet of flowers? It’ll serve as an amazing pick-me-up when he/she is staying home. This is a great way to show that you still care even with social distancing measures put in place.

At 24 Hrs City Florist, we believe in doing our part for the community when we can. As a show of support to our dedicated front-liners such as healthcare workers, we sent an encouragement flower centrepiece to hospitals such as Tan Tock Seng Hospital to show them that we stand with them in fighting COVID-19.

Though it’s a small gesture, we hoped that this had encouraged the healthcare workers by brightening their day and bringing a smile to their face even if it was just for a short while.

And YOU can do the same. Sending flower bouquets as a show of encouragement and support doesn’t just have to be sent to your family members or friends, it could be to hospitals, clinics or places that are instrumental in the fight against COVID-19. Why not send a gorgeous bouquet their way to show them that we appreciate all the hard work that they put in to help ensure that we can be as safe as possible? We may not be able to show physical support, but we can do so by sending moral support in such small ways.

It’s important to spread kindness and positivity in such situations.

Updated on 19 May 2020: We are grateful to receive a letter from Dr. Eugene Pidelis Soh, CEO of TTSH & Central Health and would like to share this letter with our readers below.

What is the COVID-19 situation teaching us?

In such uncertain times, it is also good for us to reflect on the importance of family, bonds and staying positive. Through this outbreak, we are constantly reminded of all the important facts in our lives that we might have taken for granted before the pandemic started.

What is the Corona/ Covid-19 Virus Really Teaching us?

• It is reminding us that we are all equal, regardless of our culture, religion, occupation, financial situation or how famous we are. This disease treats us all equally, perhaps we should to. If you don’t believe me, just ask Tom Hanks.
• It is reminding us that we are all connected and something that affects one person has an effect on another.
• It is reminding us of how precious our health is and how we have moved to neglect it through eating nutrient poor manufactured food and drinking water that is contaminated with chemicals upon chemicals. If we don’t look after our health, we will, of course, get sick.
• It is reminding us of the shortness of life and of what is most important for us to do, which is to help each other, especially those who are old or sick. Our purpose is not to buy toilet roll.
• It is reminding us of how materialistic our society has become and how, when in times of difficulty, we remember that it’s the essentials that we need (food, water, medicine) as opposed to the luxuries that we sometimes unnecessarily give value to.
• It is reminding us of how important our family and home life is and how much we have neglected this. It is forcing us back into our houses so we can rebuild them into our home and to strengthen our family unit.
• It is reminding us that our true work is not our job, that is what we do, not what we were created to do. Our true work is to look after each other, to protect each other and to be of benefit to one another.
• It is reminding us that we can be patient, or we can panic. We can either understand that this type of situation has happened many times before in history and will pass, or we can panic and see it as the end of the world and, consequently, cause ourselves more harm than good.

Basic Needs Of Humanity

Because it’s relatable. It reminds us about the basic needs of humanity.

What COVID-19 has done is remind us about how important it is to hold what’s important to us close to our hearts. It has stripped down the life we are used to living (the shopping etc) to bare minimum and essentials. Working from home without going to office has also showed us that businesses and society can still function without certain regulations. It has taught us to use telecommunication tools more effectively. It has taught us the importance and reminded us about the simple joys of visiting our elderly grandparents without feeling anxious that you would be passing any sort of infection to them.

It has made us re-thin our priorities, behaviors and lifestyle. What we would have easily done just a few months ago – our daily routines of grabbing a cup of coffee at a neighbourhood café, hanging out with your friends for drinks after work – is not something that we can do now as we should be practicing social distancing. We start to realise that such activities are luxuries that we never knew we had. Or rather, activities that we’ve taken for granted and as such, had taken the joy out of it.

It’s only during period that we understand the importance of heading out for fresh air to re-connect with nature and find joy in the little things we can do at home.

There’s tons of things you can do at home while social distancing. Why not pick up a new skill such as cooking or baking; catch up your reading; play video games with your friends; spend time playing board games with your family; organise your wardrobe etc. You can even order flowers and have it delivered to decorate your house with.

Let’s all do our part to fight COVID-19 and stay positive. Choose to spread joy to the people in your life, front liners and people around you. It’s easy to get anxious in such situations, panic buy and be selfish but that’s not what we should be doing a society. This is the time to be gracious in society and to show love for the community and world you live in.

Keep safe, calm and fight on. We’re all in this together.

Do drop us a comment below and let us know what is your experience like during this covid-19 situation?

Written by: Elizabeth Tan