6 Ways to Stay Calm During COVID19 Quarantine
By Sushmita Mathur
Saving the world can be exhausting but who knew that saving the world in 2020 will mean “Quarantine” i.e, just staying home in our Pj’s all day long while washing our hands frequently!
While for some this quarantine is a break from hectic life routines and the chance to spend some quality time with their family indoors, for others this could also be a little overwhelming. It’s okay if you haven’t learnt any new skill or rearranged your room. You are still doing
absolutely fine if you did not participate in the Dalgona Coffee challenge or if your sleep pattern is totally ruined. We are all surviving a pandemic and we are doing just fine by staying indoors and washing our hands frequently. The priority is not to let the anxiety get to you.
Here is a list of things that you can do to maintain your calm in the times of chaos:
Be Selfish – Take a break from your surroundings, from news channels, from social media or anything that is or can come between you and your peace of mind. During this break, think about yourself – how to make yourself happy and present. You always deserve a good “Me Time” and it is important, not only for you but also for the people around you. Quarantine is the perfect time for some “Me time”. As it is rightly said, you cannot pour from an empty cup, take time to fill your cup.
Listen, Think and Observe – This is the best time to take a pause from your life’s responsibility and just sit at peace and listen to your inner voice. It is a technique that will help your mind to bring out ideas that you never knew could come up in your mind. I have also read
somewhere a long time ago that, to acquire knowledge; one must study; but to acquire wisdom, one must observe. Take a break from social media, and enjoy the 90’s time a bit.
Meditate -Meditation is not always about Yoga, scented candles and all, it can also mean taking few minutes for yourself in the morning or before sleeping, sitting at a quiet place and just counting all the reasons to feel blessed or trying to connect your mind with your heart. Close your eyes for a minute, rub your hands, place it on your closed eyes gently. Take a deep breath in, along with all your worries, hold it for 3 seconds and let it all out.
Stretch – In a time when everything feels stagnant and desultory, it’s important to move your body a bit. Just change your cosy Pj’s into something comfortable yet get going, do some stretching for at least 10 minutes and feel the change your body is craving for!
Paint or Doodle – Painting or sketching is another great way to calm your mind and feel good. You don’t need to be a Picasso, just get a paper, pencil and colours and get started! If you think you are bad with shapes and measurements you can start with doodles which are very satisfactory. Doodles are unfocused random drawings that don’t require precise measurements, attention or ideas. Just start with a point and let your imagination work freely.
Spend some time with your pets – If there is someone who is extremely happy with the news of lockdown extension, then that would definitely be your furry buddy! There is no need to explain the joy we get while playing with our pets. Even if you don’t have a pet, there must be some cutie patooties in your locality who need your love and help too at these difficult times. Try to feed them with whatever you can while going out to refill your essentials and let your day brighten up with their smiles and happily wagging tails.