What I learned from the crisis in Venezuela

What I learned from the crisis in Venezuela

As uncertainty strikes us due to the coronavirus pandemic all over the world, the most common reaction people seem to have is panic, as authorities don’t seem to control the spread, or the economy, feels like as if as a challenging situation arises, so does the selfishness throughout the population.

As someone who lived my whole life in Venezuela, and witnessed how things exponentially worsened every single year, in every aspect, there are a few things I’d like to share with you, and hopefully, you will be better prepared to face this situation and leave from it prepared to what’s yet to come.

Take care and trust the people around you to take care of you: Family, friends, neighbors, etc. They are excellent resources to give you a hand when you need anything.

It's easy to get temperamental about the situation and the injustice around. Yet, it's not your fault, it's not your family's fault. You do no good by ranting those around you about what's going on. The easiest way out is to focus on you, on your situation, your problems and your debts, among other things. Rather, I invite you to focus on helping others.

"The one thing you can’t take away from me is the way I choose to respond to what you do to me. The last of one’s freedoms is to choose one’s attitude in any given circumstance."
Viktor Frankl

Your phone can be an excellent tool for staying connected to everything, everywhere, yet it can also be toxic as your main activity over longs periods of time. Remember to take care of yourself. You may find yourself waking up at 11am, staring at your phone for countless hours switching from instagram, to Facebook, to Twitter, and back again, only to realize at night-time you didn’t even take a shower, you never really did what you said you were going to, and that, along with the situation itself, can lead to a depressive state I do not want for you.

Take the most out of your spare time. Are you staying at home for long periods of time? Try reading, learn a new skill or practice that hobby you forgot you had. Enjoy quality time with your spouse, kids, roommates, as you start spending more time at home.

The government may —and will— make decisions that will not resonate with you, to say the least. Instead of waiting for them to fix your problems, take actions on what you can to improve your situation.

Lastly, It's ok to panic, as long as you target your panic towards planning and acting, rather than just letting the anxiety eat you alive. Remember, if it’s not under your control, there’s nothing you can do about it, and thinking about it won’t help you either. Do what you can, take care of what’s under your control, and help those you can.