This time will be remembered- 4
By SUNITA VIJAY
We humans are dissatisfied beings. We desire what we do not have. The things that we have seem to lose their importance as soon as we own them. We want that we can’t have. We are attached to what is difficult to obtain. We feed off quests. Strange juxtaposition!
“I just don’t have enough time for everything I want to do in life,” a statement often and many times emitted from our mouth in despair. Now, the time to do whatever remained undone is in plenty. We have often cursed the technology and internet for its bad side. But, if we look at the brighter side, we unanimously agree on the availability of vast knowledge on the net that can be used to enrich ourselves, whatever the learner in us aspires to know from the comfortable space of our homes.
There could be two or three instances when we look at the home stay pattern. In lockdown state, either one is all alone or as a couple or as a family with kids and parents or with kids but without parents. During these days, when there is no time constraint, no deadlines, no demanding routine, it is not easy to maintain a disciplined regime.
One may engage in the following:
1. Stay in an ordered state. It will keep the anxiety at bay, brings good sleep and improves relationships.
2. Make your bed, let it be the first task of the morning. Set your room in a presentable state. Keep things as tidy as possible, in place. Spring clean your house.
3. Do yoga, pranayama, breathing exercises or any kind of physical activity. Dance to a good song. Exercising is not easy but arrest your laziness. The initiative taken to commence these activities will require an effort. Soon the benefits will overwhelm you. The body will feel light and active throughout the day.
4. Bathe on time. It will provide enough time in hand to work on other things.
5. Indulge in personal grooming. Keep yourself tidy. It is always good to see yourself as a clean person.
6. Work on your physical as well as mental reshaping. Good mental health can be achieved by reading on meditation, spiritual books or listening to spiritual leaders. Fix some slot for each of these things. Ordered, organised living is one of the keys to mental well-being and it brings happiness.
7. Wear your best clothes. Do not keep the good things for a special occasion that may or may not come. Look at yourself in the mirror. If you do not see a reflection of a happy, well-kept person, then it’s a sign you need to work on yourself.
8. Work on neglected areas. Clean the corners, almirahs, drawers, fridge and others that have been ignored due to your busy schedule. Clean them, de-clutter. Throw what is not needed. Improve the energies of the house.
9. Polish other neglected spheres. Talk to the kids. Draw a time table. Teach them. Address their queries. Know them more. Help them in improving their subjects. Clear their doubts. Work with them. Set the right example for your kids. This time will never come back. Present the best side of yours, to indirectly teach them how to create positivity in adverse situations.
10. If you have old parents, spend time with them. Listen to what they want to share with you for long. It is the best remedy for them.
11. Help your family members in cooking and other domestic chores. Remember the kids as silent observers are watching you. Involve them too.
12. Clean the bathrooms on a daily basis. A clean sparkling home generates positivity. House is your zone for the next two weeks at least. Make it a sweet home, a place that vibrates with vibrancy and exuberance.
13. Sit in the balcony, veranda or garden with your family during evening time. If you are alone, then make it your ‘me’ time. Listen to the birds. Gaze at the clear blue sky. Recite some mantras.
14. Read a book. Catch up on the ones you have missed. Kindle, Amazon and many other platforms provide reading aids. Explore whatever is within your reach. I’ll provide a list of books that may help during this time, in the coming series.
15. Watch your favourite movie. Make a list of the ones you have missed. Choose happy films. Audio visual media has a major impact on the mood. The bombardment of fear and scary news is already affecting our mental wellbeing. A good, happy watch will bring cheerfulness, will lift the mood. Avoid viewing gloom and sad material at all cost.
16. Learn one new thing each day. It could be a new word, a new thought, a new quotation, a new proverb, a new skill; could be anything.
17. Indulge in gardening. Work with nature, nothing more detoxing then sweating yourself out in the garden.
I may be repeating myself. But repetition works in instilling things in the mind. Some load shedding has to begin. Get rid of extra baggage, the years of mental clutter. Old habits need to be revised, new methods are to be adopted, new lifestyle is to be embraced. Do think about all these things.
We all are socially distanced for a good cause. We are protecting ourselves, our family and our country by doing so. Things will come back to normal. Let’s create some cherishing moments during this time. Let it be a time that transforms us. Spend five minutes daily without a miss –think, think and think –in the rush to return to normal, use this time to consider which parts of normal are worth rushing back to!
