Who had imagined a world where even going out for groceries will feel like going on a war? Who had imagined that “Survival of the Fittest” will get a new meaning after 150 years of being originated? Who had imagined that all the depressed people were so tired of their lives, will stay at home and wash their hands 20 times a day just because now they have realised the value of life ?
Nature has taken a U-turn and we can see the pros and cons so clearly. Now even a hundred dollar bill can’t buy us a toilet paper and even thousands of dollars can’t buy us a flight ticket to our favourite destination of the world.
But, the only option we know is to face it. This COVID-19 has been an eye opener for the world. We have realised that living in the so called super power nation of the world is not always great because your own safety and being close to the family is your prime concern at any point of time.
We have realised that we can live at home with a certain amount of groceries. We can live without eating junk. We can actually exercise at home when we do not access to the gym. Spending your days with parents and siblings is much more fun than we had ever thought, and also now you have all the time in the world to spend with your better half who always complained that you do not have time for each other.
This virus has given us all an opportunity in the world to eradicate all the viruses from our own relations and work on them with all our heart.
And for my Indian friends who are missing their daily domestic helpers, imagine you are in USA for a break. You know what I mean.
Here are 6 ways to make the most out of Our Quarantine, but they are not all about building a new hobby or a new skill, it’s more about rebuilding our own selves as life is surely going to demand a new version of all of us, on the other side of this quarantine.
This situation has left us with no other option, but to be physically, emotionally, mentally stronger and more stable. So let’s get started-
1. Make a list of your own Fears-
We do try to overcome our fears and anxieties, but our monotonous busy schedules do not allow us to do that. We judge ourselves too much, and we fight a constant inner battle within us.
I will try to elaborate this with my own life example. While I was going through a rough phase, there was a constant fear about the future and now when everything is more than perfect I have a strong fear of losing everything I have. Because I am not kidding, once you spend a few years with so much disappointment in life , you start getting scared of your own happiness.
People who are unable to come out of a toxic relationship have the fear of the future. That how will they manage their lives if they decide to leave the relationship.
The people who do not have a job, have a fear of not getting a job ever. And the people who have the job, have the fear of losing it. People who can’t conceive have the fear of not being able to conceive at all and the people with kids have the fear related to the well-being of their children.
Each and everyone in this world is living with a lot of fear and anxiety. But NO. That's not how we wish to spend the rest of our lives..! Not at all.
Don’t we feel so good and relaxed when we go to a retreat , or to an ashram, or on a vacation for that matter. It’s because we get a break from our routine and for those few days, we just stop focusing on our daily life issues and enjoy that experience to the fullest. But, even the realisation that the vacation is about to come to an end in a day or two, we start getting those tensed vibrations from the brain, that again we will go back to the same routine, to the same struggles, fears and anxieties, which we want to avoid forever.
So this isolation has given us some time to think deeply about our fears and anxieties and work on them. Because the other side of this quarantine will definitely demand a more fearless and stronger version of us.
There are a few steps which work for me while I try to work on my fears-
The first step is to write all the fears down. Think extensively about each one of them.
The second step is to think about it practically, that what will you do if this happens in your life.
I remember an example quoted by one my very dear friends related to this situation. That suppose you are going on your solo trip. You have a huge fear of losing your passport. So instead of losing your sleep over this fear, the key is to stay cautious and find a secure place to keep the passport safe with you during the trip and secondly think of the steps you will take in case you actually lose it. Like you will inform the police or go to an Indian Embassy and things will be taken care of.
You can even ask on many social platforms these days , like Quora ,that what exactly needs to be done in any given real or hypothetical situation.
The key is to convert your fears into knowledge. You will have to shift your focus from
‘what if' to 'what next'! If this happens in my life what steps will I take next. And gradually, life starts to get sorted and we learn to face our fears in the process.
2. Working on Our Immunity -
May be it’s by adding a multivitamin to our daily diet or starting to do the Pranayams. All of us will have to, as it is the need of the hour, take a few steps to work on our immunity.
Eating more dry fruits, fruits and other nutritious meals in the day and also starting with an exercise routine that works for us whether its yoga, gym or going out for a walk or a run. We do not have a choice, but to stay fit.
The dishes can wait, the clothes can wait, the office presentations can also wait, but not our health and fitness. Let’s stop ignoring or compromising on our health.
The drink which has helped me a lot to keep up my immunity levels since last 3 years is as follows -
Boil a cup of water, add a pinch of turmeric, some grated ginger, few drop of honey and finally squeeze half a lemon into it.
It has helped me to improve my over all health and immunity and it’s genuinely quite effective.
3. Self Care -
And It’s not just about taking care of your skin but also keeping a very close check on your stress levels.
May be it’s a past life grudge, may be you had a fight or an argument with someone and you still think about it and ruin your mood sometimes. May be now you are not even in talking terms with this person but still you feel so angry just thinking about them.
You feel like may be going back in the past and giving a tight slap on their face or telling them something in particular which you couldn't at that point of time.. But.. but .. but.. wait. You are not going back in the past, you do not want to stoop down to their level. You have moved on, but partially. This quarantine has given you time to get over that unfortunate incident completely.
Write it down, vent it out, scream, cry. Do whatever you want to do to get free from that emotional trap. BUT move on with peace and solace. I feel, setting yourself free from the past is the most supreme form of self care.
Also, we will have to stop worrying about the future too much. Instead of worrying about the future, it’s time to be prepared for it.
Many of us who are into a business are quite worried about the kind of impact this Covid will leave on our finance. The key is to accept the situation for which honestly no one in this world was prepared for and make a list of impacts we think we might have, and start looking out for solutions. May be you will have to convert the whole format of your business. may be you just have a walk in store, but now you go completely online format.
It will definitely take time to figure everything out. But the world didn't stop after World War 1 or 2, it will definitely not stop now. People will get back into their normal routines and your business will pick up once again. All we can do is to be prepared.
There is another form of Self Care which I would not like to miss and that is decluttering and organising our homes. You can do a huge favor to yourself by arranging your home, as a cleaner space can definitely bring a lot of clarity in your thoughts too which will definitely bring a lot of peace in your life.
The main reason I am emphasising so much on it is because once you get back to work after so long, things might seem a bit too much to everyone as no one was prepared for this pandemic. There might be many changes at your work place which you might not like or you get uncomfortable with. So when you get tired and frustrated at work, at least you have a clean sorted cozy home waiting for you where you feel relaxed and you get charged up for the next day.
4. Spiritual Connections-
Who are you ? What hurts you the most ? What gives you inner strength. What makes you feel a strong connection with that supreme power you believe in ?
For me it’s running an extra mile after I am completely done with my exercise, challenging myself doing that extra bit which I feel I can’t do at all. Starting something new expanding my horizon of capabilities which I thought I would never be able to push further. Like starting with a Podcast. And the thing which helps me to feel that close connection is chanting of a few mantras and being completely devoted to that supreme power I believe in.
Some people are able to do yoga and meditate. I am unable to meditate, how so ever hard I try I just can’t. If someone asks me to sit in peace and focus on one point all I can do is to fall asleep. So, everybody has their own way of building the connection with themselves and to the power which helps a lot to have that faith when life turns upside down.
If you are still unsure about yours, its time to dig deeper into your soul and know it now.
5. Some Apps which I love -
All the points mentioned till now are more related our life in general. Now a few apps which I am loving these days, which genuinely make me feel a little productive and also keep me a entertained at home.
1. Memrise-
I wanted to learn another language since quite sometime. came around this app, which is simple and makes learning Spanish super fun. So while we can spend hours scrolling through social media and learn almost nothing. If we spend even 10-15 minutes with this app, we can end up learning another language. So I have involved my sister in law in this learning process. We decide which class will we take today and keep discussing the new words learnt with each other. That keeps us motivated and it becomes quite funny sometimes, because obviously both of us are beginners and make a lot of hilarious mistakes each day.
2. Skillshare-
Where they have classes for anything and everything. Whether it’s calligraphy, photography, gardening, digital illustration, building an online business, how to build a new habit that stays with you. It has almost 16 categories and they have so many classes under each category. And the best thing is that all the courses are around an hours time. Very crisp and to the point. Many classes are free. I am learning to use Pro Create because I have recently developed a new interest for digital illustrations. Some are paid but they also have a lot of free courses. You just have to download the app and get started.
3. Audible-
To all my Indian friends who do not have any domestic help right now and you are tired of doing the household chores yourself. Try audible, where you can listen to amazing books while you are cleaning, cooking, doing the dishes, etc. You will not even realise when you would finish listening to the book which you always wanted to read. Trust me, once you start listening to books, you will start enjoying them so much ! Go for it !
4. Wix -
Those of you really wanted to make your own website.. the time is NOW..! We have got such amazing platforms to make beautiful websites so easily. I have used Wordpress earlier for my online business website. I have enjoyed Wix more. So now when we all might have to change our business formats, we must have a very strong online presence. So why not to use this quarantine to make or remake a very appealing and a user friendly website for our business.
I have recommended all the above points only to those who actually are looking to do something but are unable to make the best use of their time, for the rest of readers who do not feel like doing anything at all. Nobody is judging you, and even if someone is, do you really care?
So here’s point number 6 for you and that’s-
6. Relax -
This is the most under rated thing of the world I guess. Whenever you open your Facebook or Instagram these days, people are working out, cooking amazing meals, learning a new skill, managing their lives so well and your routine is upside down. You are having a difficult time even completing your normal household chores.
You want to take it easy. Finally you have the liberty to stay at home and do anything and everything at your own pace without looking at the clock. What’s the harm in that, I mean, is that a race? Even if it is, may be you do not want to be a part of it. That’s completely OKAY !!
Relax and chill the way you want to. This is the break which you were craving for since long. Do nothing if you feel like doing nothing. Take long showers, listen to your favourite music, eat, love, pray, mediate, or just sleep. Who cares!
So now you can decide for yourself what do you really want to do in this quarantine..! I think now no one would get fascinated by the term ‘Netflix and chill’ any more, no one would complain if the movie theatre is over crowded, we will not take our morning walks in the fresh air for granted, no one would like to miss a gym. and I also pray that no one eats an animal out of the food chain and that this is the first and last quarantine of our lives.
We want to get back to our normal routine lives so bad. Isn't it..? Till then, let’s be grateful that we have got food and a home where we can spend time conveniently. and huge shout out to all the brave people out there in the medical field, people working at the departmental stores day and night making sure that we get our necessary daily stuff ,the police, the delivery boys, and each and every one who has to go out of their homes daily risking their lives for us.
It's time to count our blessings now and not just Breathe, but Live this incredible adventure called Life!
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