Lockdown Highs and Lows
When the lockdown began in March 2020, we thought, life has suddenly brought us a welcome, extended vacation from work and the everyday hum drum of life. The social media was flooded with posts, showing mixed emotions, of gratitude, of positivity and filling the leisure time with reading, hobbies, interacting family and such. No one expected the initial one-month declaration to extend beyond the month. It was looked at, as a welcome summer holiday of sorts, albeit, without the outings and travels.
But fast-forwarding to March 2021 and beyond, the mood is not the same. Unemployment, difficult work-from-home situations, increasingly difficult to handle children and restless adults, frequent news of death, illness and difficult life situations have marred the scenario.
For most of us, this prolonged life without discipline and routine, without any clarity about returning to the life we know and are comfortable with, has made us weary, worried and restless. Maintaining personal and professional life balance has become increasingly difficult. We are hoping and praying to get out of this forced vacation desperately.
But prudence dictates, that we must try to change ourselves when the situation is beyond our control. So, here are a few tips that will help us to take care of our mental, emotional and physical well-being.
Redecorate and declutter your home: The environment we live in has a huge impact on how we feel day to day, especially is it is the only space we are allowed to dwell in, shut-in from the outdoors and nature. In order that staying at home does not become tedious and confining, we could always declutter, beautify and reorganize our homes.
Spend constructive time with family: Reading books, playing indoor games, watching sports/ films with family could be a hugely relaxing activity which not only brings family members closer together but also help to appreciate aspects of them which we would have never known otherwise.
Work-from-Home Balance– Work-from-home time often tends to spill over and disturb other essential activities. It becomes extremely difficult to keep professional and personal life separate when we work from home. It is advisable to dedicate a space and time for professional work and maintain them as though we are in office. Getting in and out of that time and space is a discipline which can help us to get out of that mix-up.
Bringing the outdoors home: There is no denying that nature has a healing touch. In the lockdown situation, if we are not able to go out, we have the option of brining some greens indoors and let them brighten our homes. Taking daily care of the greens also reminds us that we need to take care of ourselves and our families, likewise.
Gastronomic entertainment: Eating tasty and home-made food is a luxury in today’s world. It would be a great idea to cook up the dishes you always wanted to and bring delight o yourself and your family. You can also involve your family in the various activities in the kitchen and make it feel like a picnic.
Paying attention to health: If you have been worrying about your health and could not take time out of your busy schedule, now is your time to take care of your health and invest time in physical training and natural remedial treatments.
Though we do not know what works for everyone, but there is no denying, that an effort to approach a situation sportingly and with positivity, always helps.