Finding Happiness During A Pandemic, By Keeping Calm, Staying Wise And Being Kind!

The General Assembly of the United Nations in its resolution 66/281 of 12th July 2012 proclaimed the 20th of March as the International Day of Happiness to highlight the importance of happiness in the diurnal lives of people. This resolution which was initiated by Bhutan, a country which recognized the value of national happiness over national income since the early 1970s and famously adopted the goal of Gross National Happiness over Gross National Product. Following this in 2013 – the day was celebrated across the globe for a first time.  

Whilst the whole world is facing a really hard time as we celebrate the International Day of Happiness in the light of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, happiness is more important than ever in our fight against the pandemic.  

For this year's International Day of Happiness, the theme is 'Keep Calm. Stay Wise. Be Kind', which is heavily inspired from global pandemic of coronavirus. Since the world faced and continues to face an ongoing global crisis together, this year's International Day of Happiness is promoting a chance to find uplifting and positive ways to look after oneself, and one another, eventually.  

To explore the theme further, here are some simple actions we suggest in relation to it.  

Keep calm: Things may seem going haywire and it is quite true that one cannot have everything under control. So remember to breathe and focus on what really matters and find little ways of keeping your spirits high so that your mental health does not get too stressed 

Stay wise: If the pandemic has taught us one thing then it would be to stay wise. Making choices that are made considering the general happiness of everyone will have a positive impact around you. So try to take actions that support general well-being and help others to do the same.  

Be kind: Kindness goes a long way in one’s life. We are all in this together, even when we are forced apart. Let us stay connected and reach out to help others who may be in need.  
 

Photo: Atakan Sevgi on Flickr