‘Wash Your Hands, Cover Your Face, Make Space’
‘Wash your hands, cover your face, make space’ is currently one of the lines in a radio station jingle here. For some strange reason, I found myself reflecting, out of context, on this public health promotional cry. As you must already know, in context it is reminding one and all of the main strategies to avert contracting COVID-19.
Lifting things out their context can’t be strange to you. Being human is one of the many survival techniques human beings use to live their lives in ways they deem as best possible. It however can be positively as well as negatively used. I believe you must have a wealth of experiences of extra-contextual use of phenomenon.
At times in life, in the best interest of your wellbeing, you may have to consciously take control of your essence (your person) by resolutely coming out of ungainly situations; ceremoniously washing your hands from all involvement. I’m referring to a ‘leaving’ that may warrant your physical exit (for example: resignation or dissociation); akin to ‘cover your face’ in our jingle.
Your self-disconnection automatically will ‘make space’. Making space in itself is necessary for progress, change and evolution. Have you noticed how the phrase connotes a conscious, continuing and efforts full requirement on an individual.
You could be making space for fresh new idea, perspective, ideology, belief or value. Whatever it is you’re making space for, make it an informed, well-thought through and inexpensive move.
The following are some things people have made space for since COVID-19 gained ground around the world in March this year:
•Learning a new skill or trade.
•Putting my family first.
•Eating proper meals.
•Exercising regularly.
•Eating more healthily
•Pacing myself at tasks
•Inputting a ‘me’ time into my day for meditation and simple indulgences regularly.
•Ignoring my wants.
•Becoming more needs orientated.
•Steady conscious recovery from hoarding.
•Frequently practicing the art of deep breathing.
•Becoming less impulsive by consciously delaying and appraising decisions and actions I would take.
•Developing my skills at mentoring others in order to support their development.
•Being more community conscious and taking a keen interest in my neighbourhood.
•Allowing people to make their own mistakes and learn from them rather than playing ‘rescuers ‘all the time.
•Developing my emotional intelligence skills gradually and steadily.
•Accepting my own limitations and letting others help me too.
Omoru writes from the UK
