December 1, 2020 by

thinkbook 14s review

The 15-inch ThinkBook, which I have reviewed … I used to own a Dell XPS 15" with the same configuration (i7, 16GB, SSD512). There is indium coating to increase resistance to corrosion. You may also visit PSREF (filter by storage) to see the tested storage capacity for this model, though that will not limit you from upgrading more storage capacity to see if it'll work.. For your reference in replacing the SSD please refer to this link: The hinge design on ThinkBook 14 has been changed by Lenovo. Join our newsletter to get the latest reviews directly to your inbox. Now you can read Digit Magazine online! Design is really good, very powerful indeed. • Processor: 8th Gen. Intel Core i5 or i7 (8265U or 8565U respectively) / 6MB – 8MB cache Reviews. In den USA wird es ab Ende Mai losgehen zu Preisen, welche die Geräte in der oberen Mittelklasse ansiedeln. ThinkBook 14S. Lenovos neues Convertible mit dem sperrigen Namen Thinkbook 14s Yoga i kann als Notebook und als Tablet in vier Winkeleinstellungen genutzt werden. Lenovo ThinkBook 14 review – a whole load of I/O for a 14-incher. This page works best with JavaScript. What’s in the box? • Display: 14-incch FHD IPS / anti-glare / (1920 x 1080) / 250-nits Your email address will not be published. Lenovo ThinkBook 13s graphics It is manufactured in an improved 14 nm FinFET process. It's a solid device though, with a great keyboard, fantastic performance, and a lot more. Your recently viewed items and featured recommendations, Select the department you want to search in. The ThinkBook 14 runs on up to a 10th Gen Intel Core i7 processor with AMD Radeon 620 graphics. Reviewed in the United States on January 31, 2020. Purchased this laptop because it was fast, powerful enough to run my photo editing tools, and small/light enough to easily take it on the road with me. You can opt between Core i5 or i7 processors, various amounts of storage and memory, as well as an optional Radeon 540X dedicated graphics. PLEASE WHITELIST US. 0 share; Facebook; WhatsApp; Telegram; Flipboard; Twitter; Tumblr; Simple, fuss-free, almost boring even — but that is exactly what you would describe the Lenovo Thinkbook 14. Es ist mit Windows 10 Pro und einem Intel® Core™ Prozessor bis zur 10. Read honest and unbiased product reviews from our users. Lenovo ThinkBook 14 is a Windows 10 laptop with a 14.00-inch display that has a resolution of 1920x1080 pixels. Lenovo ThinkBook 14S 14" FHD Screen Laptop, Intel Core i5-8265U Up to 3.9GHz, AMD Radeon 540X, 8GB DDR4 RAM, 256GB PCIe SSD, Wireless-AC, HDMI, USB Type-C, Windows 10 Home, Gray 4.3 out of 5 stars 23. 4 minutes read. LaptopMedia.com Reviews Lenovo ThinkBook 14 review - a whole load of I/O for a 14-incher. It’s worth noting there’s a slightly bigger version of the laptop, the ThinkBook 14s, which is largely the same. The ThinkBook 14s features the Radeon 540X which has been launched by the end of last year. Lenovo ThinkBook Build Design. Lenovo's ThinkBook 14s is similar to the 13s, but it's a bit larger and it comes with dedicated graphics. Both the ThinkBook 13s and 14s (shown above) have dedicated Skype keys, TPM 2.0 security chips, fingerprint readers and webcam privacy shutters. Lenovo has a new ThinkBook set to hit markets later in November. The special design on its edge makes it look thinner. See full specifications, expert reviews, user ratings, and more. It is very easy to share and collaborate with others. It’s a bit heavier at 3.3lbs (1.49kg). DESIGNED FOR YOU. HP 15-cs3019nr Pavilion 15.6-Inch Laptop, Intel Core i7 (Mineral Silver) 4.5 out of 5 stars 365. The screen and body are beveled sharply to create thinness and optimal size. Posted on September 18, 2019 September 16, 2019 by Dealectronic Webmaster. Das ThinkBook 14s wird in Europa nicht angeboten. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. A few highlights of the 14s model include its narrow bezel 14-inch display, Dolby Audio technology with Harman speakers, integrated fingerprint reader (power button), and solid state drive. Its performance is between the Radeon Pro 450 and the Radeon Pro 455. There’s better value in the 13-inch variant imo. • Graphics: AMD Radeon 540X / 2GB. The design also looks very nice. Lenovo is introducing two models as part of new ThinkBook lineup in India – ThinkBook 14 and ThinkBook 15. Lenovo ThinkBook 14s Review: A New ThinkPad / IdeaPad Hybrid with Very Durable Design and SSD Storage Posted on September 18, 2019 September 16, 2019 by Dealectronic Webmaster If you want a combination of Lenovo’s ThinkPad and IdeaPad series, that’s what you’ll get with the new Lenovo ThinkBook 14s. Resolution: 1920 x 1080; Weight: 3 - 3.9 lbs. See full specifications, expert reviews, user ratings, and more. The ThinkBook 14s we test features 8GB DDR4, and it also has an updated version with 16GB DDR4. Learn how your comment data is processed. After viewing product detail pages, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages you are interested in. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. Regarding design lines, ThinkBook 14 inherits the angular, square of the high-end ThinkPad line. See full specifications, expert reviews, user ratings, and more. Internally, all ThinkBook 14s models include AMD Radeon 540X 2 GB, whereas that’s optional on the 13s, and my review unit did not include that. A five-stage hin… Reviews. • Operating System: Windows 10 Home or Pro (Lenovo recommends Pro) It must be a specific case but still, I hope other customers won't experience that. Generation sowie einem optionalen Intel® Optane™ Hauptspeicher ausgestattet und kombiniert hohe Leistung mit erstklassiger Sicherheit und Support auf Unternehmensniveau. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. Its display is a 14-inch FHD IPS panel. The Thinkbook 14 follows up from the Thinkbook 14s (compare on Lenovo’s site here) which I saw while I was at Lenovo Tech World and was the first time I’d even heard of the Thinkbook brand. It begins with its design; the bare metal aluminium finish combed with the unassuming Thinkbook logo on the case makes for a discreet laptop that you could bring around without drawing attention. LaptopMedia.com Reviews Lenovo ThinkBook 14 review - a whole load of I/O for a 14-incher. Lenovo ThinkBook 14s-IWL 14" Notebook - 1920 x 1080 - Core i7 i7-8565U... Lenovo ThinkBook 14s-IWL 14" Notebook - 1920 x 1080 - Core i7 i7-8565U - 16 GB RAM - 512 GB SSD (20RM0005US). Lenovo ThinkBook 14s Notebook, 14" FHD Display, Intel Core i7-8565U Upto 4.6GHz, 16GB RAM, 256GB NVMe SSD, AMD Radeon 540X, HDMI, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Windows 10 Pro. The ThinkBook 14 is 17.9mm thick, which is just 1mm more than the ThinkPad X390. The Lenovo ThinkBook with Intel Core i7 10th gen CPU comes in two variants - 14-inch and 15-inch in size. After selling consumer desktops and laptops in the late 90’s I have a soft spot for the Thinkpad brand. The 13.3-inch device packs a … Many trivial tasks can be performed through a simple press of a button or a voice command. Internal Structure. Apart from the display, everything else is up to the mark and exceeds user expectations on many counts. $1,029.00. I purchased notebook as described by Seller. Appliances ... Its prices are now more approachable: The ThinkBook 13s starts at $729, while the ThinkBook 14s starts at $749, and both will ship this month. Now it's working smooth no fan sound, long lasting battery (I verified only for 6 hours). See all details for Lenovo ThinkBook 14s-IWL 14" Notebook - 1920 x 1080 - Core i7 i7-8565U... © 1996-2020, Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates. Reviewed in the United States on March 26, 2020. ThinkBook 14s Designed for style, engineered for business Your workday will not see any fuss or hassle from start to finish. As Lenovo’s new laptop brand, ThinkBook series is fashionable and professional, which can meet young people’ demands. The ThinkBook 14s Gen 2 laptop was designed to meet the challenges of a changing workplace. Our review unit is the ThinkBook 13s-IWL, but there is also a 14-inch model called the 14s-IWL should you want a slightly larger display. To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Colours on the whole were dull and washed out, making even spreadsheet and document work a proper pain. Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Lenovo ThinkBook 14S 14" FHD Screen Laptop, Intel Core i5-8265U Up to 3.9GHz, AMD Radeon 540X, 8GB DDR4 RAM, 256GB PCIe SSD, Wireless-AC, HDMI, USB Type-C, Windows 10 Home, Gray at Amazon.com. Built out like the review unit, which features an 8th Generation Intel Core i5-8265U processor, 8 GB of RAM, and 256 GB of fast M.2 PCIe-based SSD storage, the ThinkBook 14s … Lenovo currently has the ThinkBook 14 listed at $876 in the US; that’s plenty cheaper than Dell’s Vostro 14 with similar specs at $1,200. Design and construction. Battery is worthless. Preise und Details zu einem eventuellen Start in Deutschland gibt es momentan nicht. Review: Lenovo ThinkBook 13s pairs solid business features with consumer-friendly touches Lenovo's ThinkPad dresses down into business casual, trading some performance for an affordable price tag. This one is half of the cost, but seems to perform better. Engadget - Not yet scored. Prime members enjoy FREE Delivery and exclusive access to music, movies, TV shows, original audio series, and Kindle books. Graphics Card: AMD Radeon 540X; Memory Speed: DDR4 2400; Model #: 14s540Xi785-16256nP; Item #: 9SIA8TKB8T6854; Return Policy: View Return Policy $1,149.99 – Free Shipping; Add … It is what is I was expected. By Daniel Tyson. Compare Lenovo ThinkBook 14s Yoga prices before buying online. It sports a chassis design, which is arguably sleeker than what would normally come with the ThinkPads. A very well built, nice materials, nice keyboard, good battery life, good procesor. Required fields are marked *. This 14" laptop has a starting weight of just 3.3lbs / 1.5kg to take with you wherever you go. I have to return this Laptop to Amazon. INSTANTANEOUS RESPONSE Slim, Metal Body: built from aluminum metal, yet weighs less than 1.5kg/3.3lbs. 1 BUILT FOR BUSINESS. All reviews. DESIGNED FOR YOU. Enjoy full confidence while carrying it around. Yoga-Thinkbook mit Digitalstift. Check Lenovo ThinkBook 14 best price as on 26th November 2020. ThinkBook 14s Datasheet BUILT FOR BUSINESS. If it weren’t for the ads, LaptopMedia wouldn’t be running. Suffice to say, the Thinkbook 14 is aimed towards business professionals, with the entire package seemingly crafted for the average worker. It's supposed to last 11 hours and, while I understand that's in a controlled environment with ideal settings (0 screen brightness, 0 usage), I was expecting to get at least 6-7 hours of work done. It’s genius. All reviews. Powerful Specs Affordable Compact Package, Reviewed in the United States on January 4, 2020, OK for everyday computing, display far from color accurate, Reviewed in the United States on September 16, 2020. Lenovo. When I configure windows first time, due to graphic driver software, it was consumed high cpu and battery. Reviews. Das Lenovo ThinkBook 13S wird ab 729 US-Dollar erhältlich sein, während das ThinkBook 14s ab 749 US-Dollar kosten wird. Lenovo ThinkBook 14s Review: A New ThinkPad / IdeaPad Hybrid with Very Durable Design and SSD Storage. Click here to start flipping! If you want us to review it drop us a line and we might just bump it to the front of our reviews queue. Welcome to Lenovo Community Forums. There is a dTPM that encrypts data and works with Windows 10 security and privacy features. The narrow bezel display on the ThinkBook 14s is as functional as it is attractive—by minimizing the size of the bezel, the screen size increases without the chassis getting bigger. Reviewed in the United States on January 24, 2020. ThinkBook 14の特徴を解説。価格が安いだけでなく、Comet Lakeの第10世代Core(U)、SSD、IPS液晶を搭載し、快適に使えるビジネス用PC。オフィスでの宅内モバイルとして最適。 Only 1 left in stock - order soon. Hi !. It’s genius. In fact, the laptop with 8GB DDR4 can handle the daily office work. sleek design with finger print authentication, Reviewed in the United States on November 9, 2019. If you want a combination of Lenovo’s ThinkPad and IdeaPad series, that’s what you’ll get with the new Lenovo ThinkBook 14s. The same robust business laptop usage experience that the more expensive ThinkPad series offers, but on a tighter budget. And the reasonable pricing will … The ThinkBook 14s can work for longer hours than many ultrabooks. I did transfer 300 GB data from old laptop. In short, it’s packed with features that make it faster and easier to focus on your business as well as any personal activities you want to use a notebook for. Looking for a new computer? Basically, this is how the history of the ThinkBooks started, and today, we are going to review the Lenovo ThinkBook 15. Text appeared grainy and almost completely unreadable when the lid was pushed forward. 80% Lenovo ThinkBook 14s review: The best of ThinkPad, without the ThinkPad Quelle: Neowin EN→DE As was the case with the ThinkBook 13s, the ThinkBook 14s is a real winner for the price. Unfortunately, even at 40% brigthness, updated drivers, and decreasing core power usage to 30%, I couldn't more than 4 hours. You can still see all customer reviews for the product. Our articles are free to read but the equipment in our Labs isn’t. At 20 minutes and 12 seconds, the ThinkBook readily outperformed the HP Envy 13 (23:38), Zenbook 14 UX433 (24:46) and overall class average (25:12). Our review unit is a base-level configuration, excellent for daily use, but not that well suited for more demanding loads that could ben… Read honest and unbiased product reviews from our users. Got one last week. Also, in the box with the Lenovo ThinkBook 14s you will find the 65-W AC adapter, quick start guide, and internal 45-WHr battery. While I only had an opportunity to use the 13s, much of this review applies to the 14s … This 14" laptop has a starting weight of just 3.3lbs / 1.5kg to take with you wherever you go. Lenovo Thinkbook 14 Review. The ThinkBook 14 weighs around 1.5 kg and is 0.7-inch thick, the ideal weight and size for on-the-go users. Reviewed in the United States on December 3, 2019. Posted on February 25, 2020 February 24, 2020 by Adam Fowler. Reviewed in the United States on July 12, 2020. However, they're also … The ThinkBook 14s Yoga brings Intel's latest 11th Gen Core processors to a swanky two-toned convertible laptop with a siloed pen. ThinkBook series is a blend between a pure office laptop for use at home and a true business laptop that is designed for productivity. and is 16.5mm thin with a mineral gray finish Infinity Screen: 80% screen-to-body ratio means the body is smaller, not the screen Immersive Audio: HARMAN branded speakers … Neowin. Please make sure that you are posting in the form of a question. Samsung – Elite Quality at Your Fingertips. From: Alex Iliev & Kroum Nikolov 4 March 2020 / 08:42 | 0 Lenovo's ThinkBook 14, equipped with 10th gen Core i5, NVMe SSD, and a matte FHD display in review. Check Lenovo ThinkBook 14s Yoga best price as on 30th November 2020. $699.00. However, battery life is terrible, I'd say the battery included in this model is a piece of trash. The FHD display allows a wide-angle viewing experience as the hinges open 180-degrees. I bought this computer two weeks ago. Erleben Sie das neue Lenovo ThinkBook 35,6 cm (14"). • Memory: Up to 16GB DDR4 – 2400 MHz The ThinkBook 13s loaned to me for testing—$792 is the price from one online seller a Lenovo rep cited, though I found it for $764 at another—features a 1.6GHz Core i5 … Critics 1 review. The hinges are also made of zinc-alloy and powdered-metal in order to endure opening and closing cycles up to 25,000 times. It is built to last longer than many other notebooks on the market due to anti-spill protection (up to 60-cc of water), vibrations, extreme temperatures, and so forth. Your email address will not be published. 80. Reviewed in the United States on October 4, 2019. Lenovo ThinkBook 14 Review: This ThinkPad Superleggera Laptop Retains Robustness & Performance. There's a problem loading this menu right now. With a gray magnalium case, the device has a slim sleek design. Top subscription boxes – right to your door. Disabling it will result in some disabled or missing features. We received the ThinkBook in a rather low-key box, definitely not representative of what is inside. Reviewed in the United States on November 7, 2019. Lenovo ThinkBook Build Design. Our review unit of the ThinkBook 14 came with a 14-inch TN panel with an anti-glare finish and Full HD resolution. Now you can read Digit Magazine online! The ThinkBook 13s is also quite thin and clocks in at just 2.95lbs (1.34kg). See all Lenovo ThinkBook 13s review – finally something fresh configurations. Reviews Lenovo Thinkbook 14 and Thinkbook 15 review. First, we would like to note that there are two versions of the notebook – the IML and the IIL version. Compare Lenovo ThinkBook 14 prices before buying online. Reviews … The ThinkBook 13s has a 13.3-inch, 1080p anti-glare display with up to 300 nits of brightness, while the ThinkBook 14s has a 14-inch, 1080p anti-glare display that tops out at 250 nits. Posted on May 26, 2020. Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Lenovo ThinkBook 14s-IWL 14" Notebook - 1920 x 1080 - Core i7 i7-8565U - 16 GB RAM - 512 GB SSD (20RM0005US) at Amazon.com. ... Its prices are now more approachable: The ThinkBook 13s starts at $729, while the ThinkBook 14s starts at $749, and both will ship this month. It also analyzes reviews to verify trustworthiness. You can get a heck of a lot for under a thousand dollars, and it's more than the sum of its parts. I like sleek design,power button with finger print reader authentication,camera cap. The Lenovo ThinkBook with Intel Core i7 10th gen CPU comes in two variants - 14-inch and 15-inch in size. Russell Matthew Loh April 7, 2020. Lenovo ThinkBook 14 review – a whole load of I/O for a 14-incher. Connectivity options include Wi-Fi 802.11 ac and it comes with 5 … The ThinkBook 13s shined during our CPU-intensive Handbrake test, which measures the time it takes to transcode a 4K video into 1080p. The ThinkBook line comes in 13- and 14-inch screen sizes, and it emphasizes an ultra-slim design with high-quality construction. Those who need to make business calls will appreciate the hot keys for Skype. • Storage: 512GB (maximum) M.2 PCIe SSD Check Lenovo ThinkBook 14s Yoga best price as on 28th November 2020. Good product for price. From: Alex Iliev & Kroum Nikolov 4 March 2020 / 08:42 | 0 . Lenovo's ThinkBook 14s is aimed at SMBs, and it's not the traditional Lenovo business laptop. The narrow bezel display on the ThinkBook 14s is as functional as it is attractive—by minimizing the size of the bezel, the screen size increases without the chassis getting bigger. , making even spreadsheet and document work a proper pain calls will appreciate the keys! Has a slim sleek design, thinkbook 14s review button with finger print authentication, reviewed the... Read honest and unbiased product reviews from our users at home and a true business laptop a! 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To perform better for thinkbook 14s review at home and a lot for under a thousand dollars and. Laptop was designed to meet the challenges of a changing workplace to 12 hours of battery life: Iliev! Representative of what is inside well built, nice keyboard, good battery life is terrible, I say... Engineered for business your workday will not see any fuss or hassle from Start to finish Core™ Prozessor zur. Is that it is manufactured in an improved 14 nm FinFET process an version. Wide-Angle viewing experience as the hinges are also made of zinc-alloy and powdered-metal in to... Offers, but seems to perform better Lenovo ThinkBook 14s Yoga prices before online. Privacy features 1.5kg to take with you wherever you go, Select the department you want us to it! Daily office work a line and we might just bump it to the,! The hot keys for Skype in review the product USA wird es ab Ende Mai losgehen zu Preisen, die. 16Gb DDR4 Superleggera laptop Retains Robustness & performance hours ) Deutschland gibt es nicht! Newsletter to get the latest reviews directly to your inbox Polaris 12 chip drop us a line and might... Might thinkbook 14s review bump it to the front of our reviews queue: 1920 x 1080 weight! Seemingly crafted for the ads, LaptopMedia wouldn ’ t for the average worker like recent! Own a Dell XPS 15 '' with the ThinkPads works with Windows security! Wird es ab Ende Mai losgehen zu Preisen, welche die Geräte in oberen! Battery life and multi-layer security I 'd say the battery included in this model is a piece of trash unremarkable! The 13-inch variant imo of 1920x1080 pixels compare Lenovo ThinkBook 14 review: a ThinkBook... Is arguably sleeker than what would normally come with the same configuration i7! Laptop with 8GB DDR4, and it 's more than the ThinkPad brand (.

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Can this blessed ‘Corona’ situation possibly have an upside?

As a Life Coach, Steve feels a strong urge to help people not only to cope with this spell of uncertainty, but “hopefully to emerge from it stronger than we were before this crisis started; when, unfortunately, we took so much for granted. Like many similar global calamities before it, including world wars and pandemics, this virus-spread will change the world because mankind will make new discoveries and adapt new practices,” he tells me.

To make his points clearly, he starts by expressing a few basic – important – presuppositions, or concepts, about Life. Anyone who has ever attended his workshops, or talks, or even follows him on Facebook may find these familiar, even if somewhat controversial.

Why change? I ask. Change, he says, will always happen, whether we like it or not, whether we want it or not, and whether we’re ready for it or not. In fact, “change” is perhaps the only certainty we have during our lifetime.

When change happens externally—in our environment—we get affected too. Sometimes we are affected directly, at other times indirectly. Sometimes we are affected a lot, at other times, not.

“Since everything in life is connected, anything that happens anywhere in the world will affect everything else, even if perhaps in the minutest way, but a chain of events will have been precipitated. This is known as Cause and Effect. So, always expecting change is a good start. Accepting that certain events are inevitable because there is more in life that is out of our control than there is that’s within our personal power is another essential step. The past is what it is. The present is more within our control. Consequently, being able to expect, accept and even embrace change—whatever its form or outcome—is one of the most important life-skills anyone can have. The opening lines of the “Serenity Prayer” express this perfectly:

So, we have to accept that things go wrong, change our lives, shatter our dreams more often than not. Where do we go from here? His answer: “When things go wrong, what is ‘actually’ happening is that these events would not be going as we had planned or as we would have liked them to go. Here is a harsh truth: In the bigger picture, there is no ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ way for things to go. This may sound strange, perhaps even objectionable, but in Nature everything happens out of necessity, not for the advantage of anything or anyone. Birth and Death are normal, ongoing events that are equally necessary and interconnected. Our false sense of ‘self-importance’ as a species makes us (humans) believe that whatever happens in the Universe is ‘about us,’ when we are merely a miniscule particle in the vastness of the ‘Big Picture’. Nothing is about us! We are simply minor components of an infinite whole. Of course, some things will change because of our actions— such as ‘climate change’ for example—but it’s not so much because we are in charge of anything. It is rather because we are participants in an ecological environment where every action can prompt a reaction.”

He then quotes Khalil Gibran from his monumental work The Prophet to illustrate our place in the scheme of existence. “When he is asked to speak to the fold about children, the prophet Almustafa says,

Life’s longing for itself. We need the humility to admit that we humans are incidental rather than instrumental to Life. Events will unfold as they must—one way or another—and we can either stress ourselves because we wanted them to unfold differently, or do our best to adopt and flow, surviving in the process as best we can.

Because we are complex living beings, we may not be able to control our emotional responses to our surroundings, but we can often adjust our reactions; hence our conscious thoughts about them and, as a result, we change our feelings.”

We know that we are different from one another and therefore we inevitably react differently to circumstances. Says Steve: “Yes, our personalities have been layered over the years from a mix of different experiences, to say the least, so no two persons are identical. Our behaviour, therefore, will be different as will be our response to the current situation. For some it will be more stressful than for others.”

“Stress,” he says, is an emotional response. “It varies between individuals. Those who generally do not seek external factors to energize themselves, also known as “introverts,” may find it easier to be indoors for prolonged periods, engaging themselves and remaining calm in their own or in limited company. They are used to it. Those who generally need a lot of interaction with other people in order to keep themselves fully charged, also known as “extroverts,” will probably react to the need for isolation with more stress and might struggle to keep calm and engaged while at home alone or in very limited company. They are not used to it.”

Then there are the anxious amongst us. What about them? “Those who are prone to “high anxiety,” meanwhile, need to be kept in our focus. They may need to be reminded that this is a temporary state of affairs. It is a storm and all storms eventually subside. This, too, shall pass! But we all need to be responsible and patient, appreciating the shelter and safety of our homes. My heart bleeds most for the lonely and the homeless. I wish we could all afford them more solidarity during this winter of dull global health.” Anxiety is a natural response that is intended to protect us, he comments: “Do not be surprised if you feel more anxious or worried than usual, especially at times like these. We humans are hard-wired to notice even the first signs of danger and our brain immediately goes into overdrive to keep our bodies safe. The snag is that this “stress response” that we experience as anxiety, as essential as it is for our survival, may be too much for some people to handle in certain circumstances. Our brain does not know when the bad news is fake or exaggerated, so it produces the same response as when we are faced with real danger.”

What can one do to reduce stress? “Use rationale to reason with yourself, as much as possible, to lessen your “imagination” of what might go wrong. Since anxiety results from ‘physiological’ responses in the body, it helps to focus on your breathing to help your brain slow down and calm the rest of your body, releasing better-feeling hormones. If these measures aren’t enough, seek help, but be aware that you are not alone. There is always help for anyone ready to help himself.”

Everyone seems to think that after this trying time our lives are going to change – some say radically, others in small ways. So, what does he read in his crystal ball about this? “These new circumstances are forcing us to change our ways of working, our daily habits and our attitude towards life. How lasting these changes will be remains to be seen. Some of us have had to adapt to working from home. Most of us have limited our movement outside the house to an absolute minimum. Some are in strict quarantine. At the moment, we are not buying clothes or gadgets, except perhaps online. Streets are quiet and entertainment outside the home is on hold. For the most part, we became more conscious about the need to economize on our consumption, realising that we need to keep our homes stocked perhaps for longer periods than originally thought. Hopefully, waste may also be greatly reduced as a result of our predicament.”

Steve continues and says that we seem to be returning to the Past in some ways. “This includes a renewed awareness in the need for public hygiene. During the Second World War, the British Ministry of Health issued posters with the catchy phrase, Coughs and Sneezes spread Diseases. This education was particularly important since people would often be huddled in bomb-shelters for extended periods. Evidently, this is still a good axiom for us to keep in mind too, now that we face such difficult times. The pendulum seems to be swinging toward the other extreme. Thanks to our greatly reduced transport by motor vehicles and an extensive suspension in air travel and tourism, even Mother Earth is having a break from our incessant fuming and polluting.”

We know only too well that the threats facing us are not small. They are economic as well as health- and wellbeing-related. “Let us not underestimate how this can affect us and others in our country, to what extent and for how much longer. What is lacking, perhaps, is a sense of urgency amongst many whose habitual irresponsible nature compels them to abuse their freedom, breaking rules and increasing the risk for others. That said, let us not exonerate ourselves from doing our part.”

Steve emphasises that everyone is connected. While some of us are more prone to certain consequences, no one is exempted. He gives a few examples: “Some people may be more financially stable than others yet have much more at stake economically in these perilous times. Some have the security of a pension but are more at risk healthwise. Some of us have relatives living abroad and may be worried, while others may have elderly parents whom they cannot visit So we are all pretty much in this together. Especially in times like these, it would be very unwise for us to compare ourselves to others. We simply need to do our bit and count our blessings.”

He points out that we all depend on other people to get through this difficult time. “But soon enough we may be looking back and perhaps we’ll have difficulty remembering the detail of this bleak reality, because we shall have won the war against the darn virus and moved on.”

But this is not the first threat to humanity’s survival, and it won’t be the last. “Dire situations tend to bring changes and progress too. Action and reaction often go hand in hand. World War II brought a huge leap in air travel, a dramatic development in other means of transport and advances in communication. Previous epidemics forced nations to improve health services and caused advances in medicine. There is always an upside, even in this crisis … whether or not we are able to see it yet. For one thing, petty differences seem to fade in the background and, so much that we believed was important before the crisis has been overshadowed.”

What qualities do we need to get through this bleak episode as quickly as possible? “The first is discipline. Without discipline there will be chaos. With discipline there will be progress. The second is patience. I remember having an MRI scan a few years ago. I am rather claustrophobic so my tendency would be to panic but knowing that it would be over soon and because I was kept occupied (by the earphone music provided to me) it seemed like a short dream that was over before I knew it.” The third requisite is to have a plan. He explains: “Your emotional wellbeing depends on making the most of your time at home. Prepare lists of activities you need to get done. This could be the time you’ve always dreamed of to (finally) sort out those drawers, or mend stuff, or spend time enjoying your pastimes. Be prepared. Make contact with friends without getting together physically. Share ideas and resources with others.” He emphasises that we need support for one another. “Let us find ways to stay connected, to reach out – especially to those who find it hard to be indoors for too long or who suffer from depression, and not assume they should be the ones reaching out to us if they need help. If you can think of anyone, especially of the elder generation or who suffers from unpleasant emotional conditions, use the phone or any online means to make contact regularly.”

He emphasises that we also have to be aware of what he calls ecology, meaning that we are in the same boat. “Actually, we are much like the crew of a submarine, where anything you do affects the rest of us, and vice versa. Let us exercise respect and selflessness, as opposed to panic buying, breaking quarantine, scaremongering or anything that affects society negatively. A truly civilized society should not require laws to keep its members in check, but alas we are not all civilized enough in our behaviour.” He cautions us about using words because without realizing we may be affecting others negatively instead of spreading calm and hope. “Avoid words that are loaded with drama. Catastrophizing, exaggerating and over-thinking are ways of creating anxiety. Without letting our guard down, let us share kind words and respectful humour. Let us consider how we speak to ourselves and to others.”

What lessons can we learn from this? “There is so much more that we ‘cannot’ control than there is that we can. What we ‘can’ control involves what relates to us, especially our words, our thoughts, our actions and our reactions. Assume responsibility for your actions and for your wellbeing. Avoid blaming others unnecessarily. Accept that the situation is the way it is and we need to make the most of it while it lasts. .As the old song goes, “I can’t stop the rain by complaining.” But I can avoid getting wet (feeling depressed or bored) by taking steps to remain dry (to do what I can to avoid hardship for myself and others).”

How can this awful situation possibly affect us in a positive way? Is there a proverbial ‘silver lining’ here? Steve is ever the optimist. “More than one, actually. Recapping some of the points made earlier, we have the following: Because of the fear of dying this situation has spiked religiousness in a lot of people, although this may have been spurred by the wrong motives in some because to turn to one’s God only when one is afraid points to a devotion of convenience. In my books “Gratitude is the only form of prayer,” so I prefer being grateful for all that is working in my life, rather than praying for protection, prompted by fear of a present threat. On the plus side, this made many people reflect and not take their life for granted.”

He points out that we have seen an increase in solidarity and even witnessed support being offered to complete strangers. “We experienced extraordinary human kindness in sharp contrast with the selfishness demonstrated by those whose actions jeopardized the stability of the nation.”

Another silver lining? “There is the fear of running out of rations. While fear may be irrational and ill-founded, in recent weeks we found ourselves curbing waste. A need to reduce and control our consumption makes us more human than machine. Such a situation also makes us realise what truly matters in life. Many people may have needed this jolt in order to realize that needs and wants are not the same thing and that you cannot eat possessions.”

Those of us who weren’t aware that security is a myth soon realised it. “Seeing how such a misfortune – that was out of our control to begin with – could reach us in a flash from the other side of the globe and how it forced us to close shops, cancel events and stay at home – risking our livelihood in some cases – may bring us to our senses before we pass judgement on socially emarginated people. Losing one’s job is enough to render a person homeless from being unable to pay rent. Let us refrain from labelling homeless people as addicts or lazy. Our own security is a fragile as the leaves on a tree. On a personal note, my life and career were going splendidly a few years ago, or so it seemed on the surface but in a flash – in just one moment – my whole world crumbled. It felt like my success story was cut short and coupled with a horror movie so there I was, in total disbelief, having to start over in my mid-fifties. My safety (“luck” if you will) lay in the fact that I did not have to pay rent and we had a second income, but I learned at that moment that security is a myth.”

Another silver lining is the practice and importance of washing our hands as a vital necessity. “Let us hope this practice stays with us for a couple of generations.” Then the need to cover our mouths. Steve comes up with some interesting facts: “The University of Bristol’s 2019 research indicates that “the airborne transmission of diseases, including the common cold, influenza and tuberculosis, is something that affects everyone with an average sneeze or cough sending around 100,000 contagious germs into the air at speeds of up to 100 miles per hour.” We should all be very aware of this, rather than casual about public hygiene.”

He reminds us that this is a unique occasion to have time to ourselves. “Rather than struggling with it why not actively think of ways to interact with friends remotely and look up online or other resources related to their interests. If you are working from home, don’t become sloppy. Keep yourself in top form.

This is an opportune time to interact with your family, discuss topics of mutual interests, watch movies together, or do other activities… together. We must not forget that we are in this together.”

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