Almost one month ago on the 7th of April 2020, Singapore announced its own measures to combat the infection of COVID-19. It was named circuit breaker, referring to the act of flipping the switch off and seek out the leak damage in the system. During this circuit breaker period, all non-essential services have to be halted, social distancing are enforced and encouraged, and citizens are to wear face masks when traveling. Non-essential services can only operate online with limitation and they are compulsory to adhere to the guidelines, this means that most non-essential workers are either working from home or their work stopped entirely. Fortunately, the Singapore government is helping all citizens to get through this tough period through several financial aids to all Singaporeans, so citizens may not need to worry that they will starve in the circuit breaker period.
For a lot of people, this is a terrible time as future jobs are severally affected, some businesses may also end their venture for good. For some other group of people, this may be a good time to upgrade themselves or relax their damaged and fatigued mind from work. We compiled a list of some activities that you might want to pick up, by the end of the circuit breaker, you might emerge as a better and more readied person to face the future.
1. Upgrading Yourself Through Online Courses
If you are one of the few people who complained that you don’t have the time to upgrade yourself because you are too busy, this period is the best time for you to start doing so. There are several online courses that you can attend, making yourself more competitive in the future. In NTUC learning club, there are several courses that anyone can participate to upgrade yourself. There are virtual live lessons categorized into “Adaptive”, “Technical” and “Technology” skill courses. You can even visit the Udemy portal to enroll even more courses, so many courses that you might even be learning something totally different from what you are working as a professional. You can even use your “SkillsFuture” credit to pay for some of the courses. If you want to have a little adventure, you might also be able to learn lessons from YouTuber on several career-related skills. Make full use of the time, you might even find a new field for you to shine in.
Online courses from NTUC Learning hub:
2. Catching Up The Time with Your Family
If there is anything that any elderly people told me about their regrets, “I hoped to have spent more time with my family” always comes out of their mouths. In a fast-paced society like Singapore, many parents do not have the luxury to spend time with their children, children do not have time to spend time with their aging parents if they are still staying with them. This is a time for many people that have been busy with their work to spend quality time with their family, do not leave any regret when this is all over.
3. Relax Your Mind with The Latest TV Shows and Movies on Your Streaming Platform
With the emergence of streaming platforms such as Netflix and HOOQ, there are a lot of movies and TV shows for people to dive into. However, because of the immense workload that we have on our shoulders, most of us are unable to spend more time to watch all the latest TV shows and movies. Since most of us are working from home, we can almost straight away dive onto our couch and start to watch the latest K-dramas and movies. I have been spending my time watching documentaries and movies on my streaming platform, and it is something I have been missing for a long time.
4. Work Out to Strengthen Your Body
As many doctors and healthcare experts already stated that a strong immunity is not only crucial in the fight against the COVID-19 virus, but it is crucial in our everyday activity against any form of illness as exercise helps to strengthen the immune system. Like all the suggestions above, most of us cannot use the “not enough time” excuse to not exercise during this period. Of course, we must adhere to social distancing during our workout. Do not exercise outdoor with anyone right now, even with your family members in the same household. You may also consider exercising in the comfort of your own home, your family can even join you during the home workout sessions, keeping everyone healthy.
5.Explore the Virtual World of Video Games
Video games exist for a long time and it has evolved into a mainstream entertainment giant in modern time. There are online video games that you can play with your friends across the globe, fighting enemies in a dungeon or just simply amaze at the world that only exist in a server. There are games that offer adventures to touches your heart, giving your mundane life a bit of excitement. There are also games that you can play on your phone that offers you to think critically to solve puzzles. Personally, I have been diving into “Final Fantasy VII Remake” and enjoying how the slums and towns in the game feel so lively. There is also a rise in the gamers’ average age group, older people are getting into video games to enjoy something that many other entertainments cannot offer. Let yourself go and indulge yourself in a game.
We Should Not Take Things for Granted
We are somewhat considered lucky if we are working from home during this circuit breaker period. We are working in a safe environment, at our own pace, or at least as much as we can control, without worrying that we may put any of our loved ones in danger. Essential workers do not have that luxury, especially for people working at the healthcare front lines, facing an unknown and highly contagious virus. Every single one of them worries if they might get infected and infect their families unknowingly while putting food on the table. Let us work hard to get through this pandemic and let us help our family and friends in the essential services by staying at home.
