Back in April, just the mention of the word ‘lockdown‘ would have triggered the ugly out of me. I was irritated, depressed, and desperate to go out. It was only after observing my perpetually bad mood that my grandpa sat me down and said that you are not alone. I have never experienced something like this either. But here we are and we need to survive with what we have and not lose ourselves while we are at it. Yes, the advice helped but there was so much more that went into taking control of my situation.
Two months since then and so much has changed for me. I am calmer, more productive, and highly grateful. So much so that I’d happily like to keep a bit of my lockdown life and some of my lockdown habits even after coronavirus becomes a thing of the past. Intrigued to find out about these habits? Read on:
Cooking Wholesome Meals At Home
While I thought it was going to be quite a drag, cooking my own meals during the lockdown has been unbelievingly therapeutic. Not only have I have been more cognizant of the nutritional value of the food that I eat but I have been keeping my consumption habits in check. All through the lockdown, I have actively tried to adopt sustainability in my cooking and that has made it all the more fun for me. I have been cooking wholesome meals from scratch while ensuring low to zero waste and the practice has had a great impact on my body as well as my sense of self. Every time I finish cooking a meal, I get a reassurance, “If I can do this, I can do anything.”
Plus, I have learned a new thing about unhealthy cravings- your palette adapts to the kind of food it is used to. Thus, while I did crave my share of fries and burgers during the initial day of lockdown, I am happy with a bowl of dal, rice, and sabzi now. This is something that I’d definitely like to keep post lockdown as well.
Taking Care of My Body
Always staying at home has made me more receptive to my body’s needs and how it needs to be worked and treated on a regular basis. In addition to eating well, I have thus been working out almost every day all this while. I have come up with this personal version of skipping plus Surya Namaskar for my workout sessions and it has been doing wonders to my body. So not leaving this habit ever again!
Meditation
Needless to say, the lockdown has been mentally tolling for almost everyone. I had my share of exhaustion as well, was constantly fighting with people, and kept getting haunting nightmares. After a particularly serious fight with my partner, I decided to sit with myself, seek what’s causing all the irritation, and realised that I had been holding on to a lot of past anger which is manifesting now during the trying times. I thus decided to let go of all this past anger by trying my hands on some meditation and it has worked wonders for me and has also improved my relationship. Never quitting this habit!
Deep Cleaning The House Every Week
Okay, I have always loved clean surroundings but didn’t indulge in deep cleaning that often before the lockdown. I always had some excuse or the other, all of which got effectively nullified by the fear of the coronavirus. Results? An amazingly clean house that has been doing wonders for my spirits. No, seriously it is so clean that you can legit have breakfast in my washroom and won’t complain! Why would anyone want to let go of this feeling?
Spending More Time With My Family
Lockdown has truly given me the gift of family. My brother is back to town after two years, dad’s working from home, and we have all been together for such a long time after years. We are all fighting a world pandemic and yet my parents are at peace knowing that their kids are safe. From playing ludo to watching old movies like Andaz Apna Apna, we are literally reliving the good old days and have learned the value of family time. It’s therapeutic, I have been literally healing and I’d like to do this at least once every year from now on.
Structured At-Home Days
Earlier staying at home during the entire day meant endless bed and Netflix times. That’s certainly not the case since the lockdown. Not only have been managing a full-time job but also doing a lot of cooking, workouts, and reading, all in one day. I love how structured my at-home days have become in the past few months and I don’t think I’ll ever look forward to long, lethargic days of doing nothing.
Managing My Finances
Lockdown taught me that I did not even need most of the stuff that I was spending my money on all this while. During the lockdown, my bank account has been healthier than ever. I have never felt so financially secured in my life, all thanks to my crazy expenditure habits. This feels like a great change and I’d like to keep it this way by keeping my list of “needs” separate from my “wants.”
So folks, how did this lockdown change you for good?
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