By Park Moo-jong
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The word also means, according to the English dictionary, melancholy and sadness with nothing to do with the color, blue.
Interestingly, however, the word is widely understood in Korea as a "slow dance," often condemned as a decadent dance at cabarets or nightclubs, pronounced "brus (부르스)."
At some point, Koreans began to be interested in the new term, "woryopyeong" (月曜病) or "Monday disease," if translated literally, meaning Monday blues, which many non-English speaking people, including me, earlier misunderstood as a sort of Monday dance. Many of them used to ask, jokingly, "Do we dance the blues on Monday?"
Monday blues, as we understand now, refers to laziness, no zeal and no enthusiasm for people to get to work Monday morning after they just enjoyed their "work-free" weekends. After a wonderful weekend comes the dreadful Monday, wherein people are back to business.
Finally, here comes a new syndrome, "corona blues."
Half a year has already passed since we were forced to wear face masks like bank robbers in Western movies or illegal demonstrators, not to hide our faces, but to help protect ourselves and to help prevent the further spread of the coronavirus that causes COVID-19.
Yet, the uninvited virus, having originated in Wuhan, China, late last year, shows no sign of abating, having forced people to live in a "new world" they have thus far never experienced.
Over the past six months, almost all social gatherings and events have been canceled, and especially socializing in person is off the agenda. We self-isolate and keep a 2-meter distance from each other, faithfully abiding by government guidelines.
As The Korea Times reported earlier, "An increasing number of people are suffering from stress and depression amid the global spread of COVID-19. Koreans even have the neologism "corona blues," which refers to depression caused by the coronavirus."
Like the Monday blues, the corona blues contains elements of depression, tiredness, hopelessness and a sense that work is unpleasant but unavoidable. It is so prevalent that it has become a cultural phenomenon.
The difficult battle against COVID-19 is heading toward a prolonged war, requiring mental and physical steps to help beat the corona blues effectively.
The pandemic is certain to take a financial, physical and emotional toll on all people in ways big and small. Many experts make many suggestions on how to beat the new blues.
For instance, it is important to alleviate fears of becoming a patient by taking a stroll in a park or performing an individual outdoor exercise, according to a medical doctor in Seoul. Many people complain of long periods of being stuck indoors with their kids, worrying that their whole family may be frustrated and fed up. Going for a family walk can be a good cure, he says.
Personally, I'd like to recommend handwriting instead of keyboard typing to be in contact with my friends.
Many of us have already forgotten when we last took time to write mail that was not electronic and what our handwriting looks like. I bet nobody can deny the delight of an unexpected letter from a friend, not a text message. Penning a letter to a friend may make his or her day and help fill yours with satisfaction from handwriting instead of constant keyboard typing.
Online concerts will also help us fight the corona blues. Many musicians are giving concerts in their homes and sharing the live streams online for all to enjoy. Furthermore, they are free.
The outbreak of the coronavirus reminds us that we're all part of the same global community and we have to cooperate to solve global problems. It is essential to follow government guidelines to ensure that we can stay safe during the pandemic.
Summer is here and all around us. Nature is in full swing. It depends on us how to beat the blues in this bright season. Let's get physical. Let's go out for a walk, wearing a mask. Stay well, our readers.
Park Moo-jong (emjei29@gmail.com) is a standing adviser of The Korea Times. He served as the president-publisher of the nation's first English daily newspaper from 2004 to 2014 after working as a reporter since 1974.
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