We are at our wits end as no end to the pandemic appears to be in sight. Return to normalcy appears to be a shifting goal post something like a mirage on the highways in a hot summer afternoon. The society is witnessing all kinds of negative emotions reigning over human thinking. Depression is on the rise. Aggression is on the rise. Fear and anxiety are on the rise. Human response is completely clueless. With jobs disappearing, careers jeopardised and businesses vanishing, talks of positive thinking appear hollow. Rather a gimmick of a few who have the support system to hold the fort. But can something be done about it. No not about Corona. That will take its own course and hopefully it has covered most of its journey. In the times of distress, frustration can take many forms, from most undesirable behaviours too weird responses. However, the source of all this is not Corona. Coronavirus is what it is. The problem is how we perceive corona and its consequences. It is the perceived world that is the real world and the problem lies in how we perceive Corona. So tempering the perception is the answer. But the source of this perception is the mind which is giving all kinds of warning signals and anxious moments. We can take a cue from the definition of Bhram or illusion as described in Indian philosophy. The famous rope and snake illusion. If you see a snake and believe it’s a rope your response will be as if it’s a rope. On the other hand if you see a rope and believe it’s a snake you will behave like you do when you see a snake. To sum it up then the perception of Corona is like that. For some it is like snake so they are over anxious and for some it is a rope, not to be bothered at all. Both these positions are erroneous and the truth is somewhere in between. The solution lies in mind management. But mind management is easier said than done. It is both a science and an art. In fact it is a practice and one needs a lot of training to do it. It is important to understand the science first. We must realise that mind generates thousands of thoughts everyday, more distressful then the pleasant ones. The way out is to control that. One of the most popular idioms explain the way to control the mind very simply. An empty mind is a devils workshop. So the way out is engaging the mind constructively. That calls for the art. This has to be developed. By doing, by training. That is why practice is important. Experience of calmness or agitation depends on the mind. To train the mind there is a need to reorient the thought process. The greatest problem is in our assumption that we are entitled to a certain way of life. This is a conditioned state as we have taken many things for granted. So even the slightest disruption throws us out of gear. That way Corona has become a major disruption. Naturally we are completely off balance. The mind needs to be reassured. Our previous generations have gone through even more difficult times, and the world did not come to an end. This time also it won’t. Just keep on counselling the mind to take things in its stride and think of ways to cope with the disruption. It works.

Pathak is a professor of management, writer, and an acclaimed public speaker. He can be reached at ppathak.ism@gmail.com