The novel Coronavirus or the Covid-19 as we know it, has surely turned our lives upside down. It is an unprecedented experience for all during this lockdown period due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
I’m sure almost everyone is going through a rough phase and finding it challenging to deal with the abrupt change in lifestyle. From questioning reality to looking and believing all the negatives being said about the situation is a quick step when you spend the whole day sitting alone with your thoughts.
As a matter to protect my sanity, I have decided to limit my news reading to a few selected sources and to speak about it only with a few informed people. More so, I don’t spend my time thinking about the ill-effects, after-effects of this pandemic on the economy and our lives…instead I focus on what’s the situation at present and how can I make the most of it. So now since I am at home with my thoughts in abundance, I thought to share some lessons I’ve learnt during this lockdown period due to Coronavirus.
We generally are so conditioned to think long-term that we hardly focus on what we have at present. I was no different, I had plans to save X amount in the next 10 years, I had plans for the next 5 years but look at us now…life is so unpredictable that we don’t even know what’s in store for us in the next week?! Forget 5-10 years. Hence, I learnt I should take one day at a time and live it thoroughly!
You know when they say ‘Family First’ I used to take it as usual saying until now, that I totally believe and value it. Let’s be honest, we all have been guilty of making excuses to our parents to delay our visits to them or even call them back to check on them, Right? I realized that there is nothing as precious as your family- generally and in testing times like these as well. I’d say spend as much time as you can with your family and you will be content for sure.
Talking of excuses, I am guilty of skipping my workouts as well. Indulging in excessively unhealthy food habits owing to my erratic work schedules. Since now the physical mobility has dropped down considerably, I resumed my Yoga and meditation and trust me it has done wonders! Try some form of workout that suits you at least for a minimum of 30 minutes. Your body will thank you later!
During the lockdown when we have limited access to grocery and we are far away from the luxury of ordering fast food (due to health concerns) I realized that cooking IS important! and that too regardless of the gender. I feel that men (and mothers of men) should drop the stereotype that ‘A woman should know how to cook’ NO. SORRY. I genuinely believe cooking is a life skill and should not be expected from only one gender. So start learning how to cook now and invite your loved ones for a surprise meal after the Coronavirus lockdown is over 🙂
They say distance doesn’t matter for the ones who care and honestly there is no better time to prove this right! We are in a phase where we are yearning to meet our loved ones, friends (if you are not living with them that it is). Thankfully, we have technology to our rescue, with video calls and conference calls- everyone is just a click/tap away. So connect with your pals, BFFS, squad and spread some cheer. Nothing like spilling some gossip over a video call…eh? Have a group game night, drinking night, movie night- ONLINE! *Social distancing- Remember?*
It is so amusing that we are discovering our hidden talents during the Coronavirus lockdown. No, I am not taking making TikTok videos as a talent! Puhhleez. I meant REAL talent like- painting, playing music, dancing etc. The point is – we have pushed our hobbies far behind and the professional life took over us, but now it is the time to revive our hobbies. Start simple, whatever you like (I like painting and I have been making art in bulk now!) It is a good way to distract yourself from the ill vibes of the lockdown anyway.
The importance of self-care has been emphasized many times by healing experts but like any other advice we tend to ignore it and move on with our hectic life. Instead of cribbing about nail stations, salons, parlours being closed due to the lockdown why not pamper ourselves on our own? A simple DIY mask, bubble bath and relaxing music is all you need to pamper yourself in whatever luxury we have right now. Try it.
This implies to all relationships we have. I’ve realized that if I am the one putting an added effort to be in someone’s life and the other person is not reciprocating, then this is is definitely not worth it. People who want to be together, should put equal effort in staying together too. I have let go of some toxic people in my life who expected me to be the glue to the relationship and put in no effort whatsoever. So hence, Bye bye to such people…It made me more happier and relieved. It is kind of de-cluttering my social relationships closet 😛
People who posted photos of having coffee in their balconies and writing philosophical captions on unwinding, solace etc makes more sense now. With so much time to kill, you eventually do get bored of the artificial entertainment being offered to you on screen. Look around and notice the little things- Birds chirping early in the morning, that little goofy act of your dog/pet in order to get your attention, that first ray of sunlight that hits your face while you are in bed, the leaves whistling in the wind in the evening, the whiff of freshly brewed coffee/tea…appreciate these little things before its time for the chaotic life again.
Lets admit, these are difficult and testing times for all of us. We can either whine about when this will end or enjoy whatever little time we have with us till we hit back to our busy, chaotic lives. Our lives will never be same again. The nature has given us time and lets PAUSE. RETHINK. ACT. So lets reflect and improve the quality of our life, our relationships, our existence in the world. Stay indoors, Stay safe.
Do let me know in the comments below what are the lessons you learnt or are learning during the #Coronavirus lockdown. Who knows? You might find a part 2 to this article here. 🙂
thank u
Like!! Really appreciate you sharing this blog post.Really thank you! Keep writing.