Not just in India, but almost everywhere around the world, there is some kind lockdown at this time. Social distancing is a must and WFH (Work from home) is the new norm.
You might be staying with your family or alone by yourself; you could be used to staying indoors or this might just be making you crazy – whatever it is, it is now of absolute importance that we stay indoors and follow every rule that is being announced from time to time by our governments.
However, this is also bringing in lots of stress, paranoia, fear as well as negativity. So, how do we keep our sanity in place and stay positive? Here are some pointers – they have helped me and I am hoping they will help you too:
Limit your intake: With too much information (and plenty of misinformation) floating around these days, it’s very difficult to stay calm and positive. One of the ways to avoid this is to choose what you are going to watch, read and listen to. It’s a good idea to keep most of your WhatsApp contacts on mute mode, and listen to just one single news source once or twice daily for a limited time that you decide and stick to. I never watch a news channel for more than 2-3 minutes.
Watch a funny video. There are thousands of videos that can help you take your mind off current events, if only for three minutes at a time. Start to bookmark the funniest among them – on YouTube or Facebook - so you can return for a repeat viewing whenever things feel gloomy. My favourites are the animal videos like The Dodo or Pet Collective. And most of their videos are less than 3 minutes in length.
Take advantage of found time. I am a Corporate and Personal Brand Strategist and I also conduct workshops on Tea and off late started making Tea related travel videos. March to May were packed with several engagements related to both these activities. However, I had to cancel each of them keeping in mind the current scenario. Though it was stressful, particularly since some of my projects were about to be completed and then put on hold indefinitely, I decided that instead of stressing I shall use my time to learn something new or to use time in a different way and make it productive. I am now learning how to create and edit videos and in the process of starting a few ‘Live’ spots soon using my social media platforms. I found this to be very liberating.
Maintain Your Routine
Most people aren't used to this situation as there is going to be less social contact. So the important thing right now is to maintain your daily routine. You follow a certain routine when you go to the office; follow that routine now too. Otherwise, you will disrupt your sleep-wake cycle and disturb your mental health. Also now that you are at home, you are restricted, so chances of doing exercises are limited. But one shouldn't stop working out, because if you stop, then it will lead to depression or anxiety. Do endorphin-releasing exercises like stretching and yoga.
Focus on the positives
It is almost impossible to know exactly what the future looks like.
Try not to obsess over things; What will happen next? Will the supermarket shelves be restocked soon? How long am I going to be trapped in the house? When will this all end?
Instead, try to focus your mind on more positive things. For example, despite Italy being one of the worst affected countries by coronavirus, Italians can be heard singing from their windows/balconies to boost morale. Even in the darkest of times, we must try to find a flicker of light at the end of the tunnel.
Also, this could be the time to bond with your family better, rekindle love and be for each other more. Be it with your partner or your children or your parents, take this as a time given to you to make do for all lost times and opportunities.
And if you have a dog at home or any other pet - play and spend time with them – as you already know (since you already have a pet at home) – they are the biggest happiness booster.
