The COVID-19 pandemic has taken a toll on Filipinos’ mental, physical, and emotional well-being. Now that there’s a spike in Delta variant cases in the country, many of us are understandably feeling a little anxious.
With all that’s happening around us, everyone can feel that dull and drearily numb emotion that the New York Times has identified as “languishing”. This sense of stagnation, purposelessness, and aimlessness is pandemic-fueled and has been a dominant emotion amongst Filipinos these days.
However, as there is the yang to yin and white to black, languishing has an opposite called flourishing. This is the sense of balance, purpose, fulfillment, and an all-encompassing notion of well-being we all aspire to have. But the question is: how can we achieve it?
Experts believe that one of the ways we can overcome it has something to do with our culture—our love for food and connection.
Food connects us all, even while we are socially distanced. While the pandemic puts us at risk of falling deeply into languishing, our love language, which involves food, can provide us a sense of connection and peace in these trying times. As we ask “Kumain ka na ba?” to our peers and loved ones even while we are physically distant, we get to show how much we care about our social circle and our effort to reconnect with family and friends as much as possible.
Finding purpose in daily routines such as cooking! Our tasks these days can be quite routinary but flourishing happens when we find purpose in these mundane tasks like cooking! Nothing beats the sense of fulfillment knowing that you get to serve your family with a sumptuous feast at home. Whether it be preparing their favorite silog meals, or trying out a new, creative dish, cooking for the family can definitely make you feel good about doing something positive for your loved ones. And what can make a breakfast, lunch, or dinner feast even more special? It’s using quality and flavorful products!
In this season and for this reason, Mekeni Food Corporation is able to show its commitment to providing quality food products to Filipino families amid the pandemic. From its sweet blend Classic Sweet Tocino and Tamis-Alat Tocino, to its healthier longanisa alternative, Mekeni Gluten-Free Chicken Longanisa; savory and tender Beef Tapa; and all-time favorite Chicken Nuggets, Mekeni continues to offer elevated flavors in the typical delicacies that everyone in the family loves.
Taking pleasure in life’s simplest moments, like sharing a meal! Being cooped at home and not being able to socialize physically can be frustrating. However, achieving mental wellness is not about dwelling in things that baffle us; it is in noticing the good things around us like sharing a simple meal with our loved ones at home! Simple moments like these are worthy to be savored and acknowledged.
Turning languishing into flourishing is all about rediscovering ways to experience joy in the usual things we do like offering great food and sharing it with our loved ones. So if you’re feeling like languishing is knocking at your door, we say, “Mangan tana!” (Let’s eat!) and fill our tummies with sumptuous meals and our hearts with the warmth of connection that food creates.
