"Without hope, sacrifice loses its meaning" (Doctor Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, President of the Republic)

 "Without hope, sacrifice loses its meaning" (Doctor Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, President of the Republic)

We all have the capacity to be able to overcome our destiny, in these extraordinary times when extraordinary solutions are called for, which is why we must have the perception and strength that in fighting the pandemic the time has not yet come to let our arms down, although we have the psychological “impression” that in the rest of the world, it seems to remain suspended. It is often said that for those who are "exhausted", the last steps are always the worst. As we walk the path towards our goals, we face a thousand and one barriers and each "step" becomes more demanding. And it is when things start to tighten and the urge to give up becomes unbearable that we must strengthen our firmness and determination. It is not and will not be an easy task, we know ... but we also know that it is only with great boldness and willpower that we achieve our goals! As Friedrich Nietzsche said: “Life is getting harder and harder near the top.”

In these times of uncertainty we all find someone who tells us “that everything will be fine”, which helps us not give up on something that we cannot spend a day without thinking about, because in the reality of our life this new confinement, combined with changes in routines and lifestyles, it has aggravated and prolonged the psychological suffering of all humans, since the "big problem" was not to return home to a new confinement, but to change routines that have prevailed in the last few months, in which we have been changing routines and trying to recover them for over a year, although we must emphasize that human beings "adapt by nature" to circumstances, but only do so because they "know the reality". As Theodore Roosevelt said: “We are face to face with our destiny, and we must meet it with great courage and resolve. For us it is the life of action, of the strenuous performance of duty; let us live on the harness, striving vigorously; let us run the risk of getting worn out from rusting. ”

In view of this, it is essential to accept that we are not going to feel so well in these times when the "prolongation" of confinement, coupled with the "uncertainty of the moment" will be "causing anxiety in people", depressive symptoms, anxious and, alongside losses financial disruption, day-to-day disruption, loss of freedom, sleep disturbances and physical inactivity may also be risk factors for emotional well-being and mental illness, in some cases, traumatic 'stress' , are some of the ailments that experts admit to intensify in this quarantine in which isolation has aggravated psychological suffering, because it has touched some important facets of mental health, such as personal freedom and our daily movements " Given that it’s one thing to have a near horizon that we know ends, another thing is to have a near horizon that expands indefinitely without knowing when the end will be. In order to mitigate some of these negative effects, we consider it desirable to try to maintain some routines, even if this does not ensure that people do not experience the situation with great anxiety, frustration and exhaustion. But maintaining these routines is important, first because it helps to manage time and then because it distracts us from ourselves. As Miguel Torga said: “Start over ... if you can, without anguish and without haste and the steps you take, on this hard path of the future, give them freedom, as long as you don't reach rest, from any fruit you want only half.”

Pandemics, although they may be of some duration, have historically ended, and when the pandemic ends, will we go back to socializing without barriers? History tells us that, in principle, yes, but it will always be different, we have to “adapt to a new” normal way of living our life ”. It is a retreat that repositiones us in our human condition and that shows us that we do not have the means and strength to stop something so big. We have more scientific knowledge and more advanced technologies, but we are not prepared, and this time it will also be traumatic, as it was with the pneumonic flu in 1918 and 1919. “In fact, throughout the year, the world has gained the notion of how much science you need, due to the Covid-19 virus, which forced us to radically change our way of life, which shows the importance of investigating to overcome the barrier of the unknown. Thanks to science we will surely be able to overcome this crisis, because science will find an effective treatment or a vaccine that will immunize ”. (Dr. António Costa Prime Minister)