Inundated !

Life's routine is disrupted when Singapore raised the 2019 nCov alert to Orange. Day after day I received messages about classes and activities being suspended be it fitness class or Buddhist class. Volunteer activities also grind to a halt. Normally 4 days in a week I have either a class or engagement. For once I am really experiencing 'free' time. Fear imposes further self restriction on hairdressing, body massage and shopping. Of course now is the time to catch up on reading and meditation but that requires some discipline.

It does not help when all the WhatsApp chat groups keep forwarding all kinds of health advice and new info on the nature of the virus and the status of its outbreak everywhere. For once I thought of watching a movie in the afternoon. So I streamed the Oscar Best Picture "Parasite". What an engaging movie, but instead of lifting my spirits it made me feel more gloomy. I felt kind of sad after the show because it imparts a sense of hopelessness for the underprivileged. My son who had watched the movie was surprised that I walked away feeling sad.

This brought to mind an article in the papers today on how fear distorts our thinking and the impact of emotion on perception and decision making. Was my interpretation of the film affected by the gloom and doom that seems to be around us ie. an 'emotion induced bias'?

Just as I am writing I received another message , an open letter signed by 4 doctors urging Singaporeans to wear a mask at all times when going out and to refrain from social mingling. The Ministry responded that washing hands is the best solution instead.

Wow I am inundated. Should I just stream a comedy to watch now or try to meditate?