ESTABLISHING PATHWAYS IN THE NEW NORMAL

The Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has caused an unprecedented upheaval in our

way of life during the past few months, causing us to shift to the normal. It changed the way we
live, act, and work, and more than that, it affected the holistic development of every individual.
The protocols enforced by the authorities to control the outbreak of the virus limit us from
improving our cognitive, language, social-emotional, and physical aspects. Thus, the need to
create avenues and establish pathways to develop ourselves holistically even amid the pandemic.

Learning should never stop. Every day, we acquire new concepts and information. With
that, everyone should find a way to learn something new and improve our skills while we are
stuck in our house due to community lockdown. Instead of playing mobile games every day, we
can try memory games and puzzles. We should find some time to read books and articles instead
of just browsing social media all day. Aside from that, setting SMART goals is an excellent way
to develop critical and logical thinking. By simply doing these activities, we can boost our
intellectual capability and cognitive ability.

Be active, both physically and socially. We can improve our gross motor skills and
psychomotor abilities while staying at home. We should move our bodies by doing different
activities such as exercising, working out, dancing, walking, and doing household chores. On the
other hand, we can work on our social skills through communicating and interacting with other
people such as our family and friends. We can also enhance it by working collaboratively with
our classmates in virtual classes.

Moreover, life in the new normal is mentally draining. The pandemic challenges us to be
emotionally stable; that is why as we face this pandemic, we need to strengthen our minds. We
need to develop our intra-personal abilities, meaning we should understand our strengths and
weaknesses and believe in our capabilities. By this, we will be able to empathize with others too.

Overall, achieving holistic development amid the pandemic is tough as rules hinder us
from advancing. There are a lot of setbacks and struggles; however, if a person aspires to attain
improvement, nothing and no one can hinder him. Thus, everyone should find ways and establish
pathways to grow holistically in the new normal.