Lots many of us used to bemoan not having sufficient ‘me-myself / my family’ time citing ceaseless work pressure and other commitments which kept us out of our homes – prior to the onset of the Covid-19 outbreak.
Now that we all are essentially under a sort of house-arrest due to the continued lockdown for over a month, we are still moaning anew at being ‘cooped up’ inside our houses, getting bored etc.
Shouldn’t we feel thankful at remaining safe inside our homes instead of this constant bickering like kids, folks?!
In this post I’d outline a few positive ideas to help you deal better with the ongoing lockdown – ideas that would be productive and healthy for a better you.
Read on!
1. Regain a Healthy Routine
For those of us for whom a systematic routine had become as distant as the Moon, the time is ripe to get into the good practice again. Eat, sleep, get up, work from home – all as per a strict routine. This would give you a sense of being in control as well as encourage positivity and meaning in your life even while staying indoors all the time.
2. Develop different Exercise & Diet Patterns
Just because gyms and sports clubs are shut-down doesn’t mean you cannot exercise. In fact, use this time to develop new exercise patterns as these will force your body to burn fat in different ways. Push-ups, free-standing squats, chin-ups (using some sort of bar at home), ab-crunches are a few exercises you can still perform while being indoors.
For those who miss their morning jogs / walks, can check with their housing societies and do some hours of walking / jogging within the societies’ boundaries while wearing masks and maintaining social distancing.
As far as your diet is concerned, staying at home doesn’t give you the excuse to eat unhealthy, and at odd hours and as much as you like. Rather, I’d suggest cut back on your diet as you would not be necessarily as physically active as in pre-lockdown. This would also make you sleep better and keep calmer. However, pregnant ladies, senior citizens and kids might still require a fuller diet – so do check with your physician via phone in case of making any dietary changes wherever in doubt.
3. Re-engage in old Hobbies
There could hardly be anyone who has never had a hobby. As we grew up many of us let go of our hobbies citing busy work / family lives. Well, now is the time re-engage those cherished hobbies.
These could be painting, playing a musical instrument, playing indoor games, reading novels etc.
4. Don’t become a News Fanatic
Funnily enough, even those of us who scoffed others for ‘always being glued to the news channels’ have become avid watchers of all-and-every news channel!
While it makes sense to keep yourself up-to-date with the latest happenings, it isn’t wise to rabidly follow and take to heart each piece of news. As you can’t be a hundred percent sure of the authenticity of each item of news presented, and the way it is projected, it can lead to uncalled-for negativity and panic.
So, do watch news, but learn to discern what makes sense and what doesn’t. It is immature to get het up and get into a debate mode all the time.
5. Revive Old Connections
Why not try and revive old connections and friendships during this time? Who knows, besides just breaking boredom, you might hit upon a useful connection / idea for the future.
Facebook, Twitter, Instagram – all well-backed up by your smartphones, give you this leverage from anywhere you might be.
6. Give Yourself Wholeheartedly to Your Family
Our parents, spouse, kids – all people who make up our universe of happiness are now available 24*7 to us! Thank the Lord for their safety and being able to get their hugs; laughing and spending abundant time with them.
This is in sharp contrast to all those years where you were rushing about building up your career / business and used to complain not having sufficient time to devote to your family. So, make the most of this period.
7. Introspect on your Goals and develop new Skillsets
Again, this is the ripe time to reflect upon your personal and career goals, and to see where you stand. This might not have been possible in normal times when you were always rushing about professionally with hardly any time to introspect.
So, use this time positively, develop new skillsets; and take a close look at your goals and re-strategize if necessary.
Many of you would be aware of these but might not have been actively engaging in the above tips. Others might not have thought about these at all. In any case, my suggestions would only be helpful rather than not as we continue into Lockdown 3.0.
Stay safe at home!