Just a few weeks back, had someone asked you, what if you get 3 weeks to work from the comfort of your home in the company of your family, wouldn’t you have laughed it off as a joke! But now that the improbable but welcome thought has become a reality, thanks to the Coronavirus infection being declared a pandemic, leading to a nationwide lockdown, are you having a whale of a time in the company of your family?
Going by what we hear in our social circles, most are not being able to utilise this free time with family to enhance their happiness quotient, but instead brooding and excessively worrying over what’s going to happen!
Endocrinologist Dr Sachin Mittal, University College of London fellow (2014)
In such a scenario, mental illnesses like anxiety and depression are sure to coming knocking at our doorstep. Forced lockdown, social distancing, and uncertainty over availability of daily essentials and finances, apart from the fear of getting infected, are driving us crazy. Add to this a steady dose of fake News, viral videos and fear-mongering, and find ourselves literally on the edge.
However, this may just be the right time to look within, examine what happiness means to us, and how finding that is the real purpose of life.
Let’s share some ideas on how to make the best use of this time –
Me-time – Life is so rushed-up in the 21st-century that most of us wish to have a day with no big to-do list. We always wish for a 20 to 30 minutes of peace and a ‘Me-Time’ – the time where we can follow any of our interests or anything which we love to do like painting, drawing or listening to music etc. May be now that peaceful “Me-Time” we have been seeking is no more elusive, let’s start doing these things which we always wanted when we were busy. Devote some time to doing breathing exercises or meditation. And once we start experiencing that serenity, it will not only make us happier and less anxious but also increase our productivity. Believe me, we will be able to prioritize and schedule those 20 minutes even after the Coronavirus battle is won.
Digital Detox – Offline is the new luxury – Believe it or not, the smart phone or the gadgets meant to ease our life have brought some more troubles also. Constant notifications/inflow of messages, steals our focus. It’s almost a reflex that people have to look at their mobile phone screens every now and then, so much so when our mobiles are out of battery even for a short while, we feel restlessness and frustrated and have an urge to go online again. But the dichotomy is many of us wish to plan a vacation with no network connectivity. But at the same time, we find it difficult to switch off the cell phone on our own. So why not try to minimize our screen indulgence and do this digital detox. Sometimes you just have to unplug from everything to find the real you.
Bring Back The Books – Ernest Hemingway said “There is no friend as loyal as a book”. Now is the best time to read all those books which we always wanted to but never got the time. “I do believe something very magical can happen when you read a book” – How true are these words of famous author J.K. Rowling of Harry Potter series. So, let’s pick a great book of our choice to give a chance for that magic to happen.
Family Time – As the famous saying goes “The best thing you can spend on your kids is time”. It’s your time to catch up whatever you have been missing in the daily rush. Sit with your kids and hear out their stories. Know more about their friends and their emotions. Share your own feelings, both anxieties as well as aspirations. Let this time be your family bonding time.
Gardening & Household Work – Roman Statesman Marcus Tullius Cicero wrote many centuries ago “If you have a Garden and a Library, you have everything you need”. Spending some time in the garden may be one of the most refreshing things. Apart from that, actively participating in household chores would be great. In the absence of domestic helps, the lady of the house would appreciate that a lot. This is the time to share the responsibilities. This would help in keeping the household situation warm and friendly as well.
Bring On Yesteryears’ Fun – It’s time to revisit your childhood, bring family games like Carrom, Chess, Ludo and Monopoly back in your living rooms. A friendly game of cards or a game of Uno with your loved ones will surely leave you with everlasting memories to cherish.
Health Is Wealth – In these times, we need to invest in our mental as well as physical health. A healthy person is able to enjoy life to its fullest, simply because the body and mind are in harmony! The easiest way to do that is to eat a nourishing diet, take up some physical activity or yoga and spend a few minutes every day in meditation. This would surely give us more happiness than any other material thing.
The best way out is within us … so make sure to live the rest of the 21-day break to your heart’s fill.
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