Scrolling through pictures trying to remember what our favourite memories are from pre-COVID times, I happen to notice that most of them have been with family, friends, moments, travel, food and outdoors..
Well the current mood is the feeling of being in isolation…Where everything memorable created with and alongside others seems out of reach…
How then could we get used to being indoors, isolated and yet be content, while the body and mind is eagerly awaiting the first chance to be out and away…
Here are some ideas to make this unimaginably-isolated COVID-wrecked time… bearable …
1) Create your Outdoors — Indoors:
A few of my friends have carefully curated this with expertise and it works! Look at little spaces in your house that you can camouflage as a relaxation outpost while sitting in…Even a simple introduction of flowers, a relaxing chair, smiley art, a little music and a painting which reminds you of the hills or sea …a space which becomes your favourite small cosy nook and transports you to the world outside
2) Master the Patience to Learn Something New
As they say, every new skill needs 10,000 hours to Mastery, I will not push my limits on this one but a few hours, few days a week can be spent in just learning something new. Whether it is a new form of exercise, or a song to practice again and again or even writing!!
3) Shut the Outside Noise
The more you invite the outside noise, it affects your mood and focus. The constant urge to know what’s happening in the outside world makes it hard to focus on anything else. Shut those little things which distract you from your goal.
4) Make Way for Positivity
Banish the ideas in your head which pull you down, leave out the extreme opinion of doomsday. Encourage your own inner reasoning and inner critic and let the naysayers rest for a bit. One beautiful way to remind yourself of positive thoughts is to look at the rising Sun. It fills you with gratitude, hope and a new beginning, emotions necessary to feel positive and recharged.
5) Move Around and do things..
I am not asking you to cook or bake or paint or make. Simply be creative, use your hands to work on things in the house, maybe a bit of tools and tinkering, watering plants, fixing a refreshing smoothie, folding clothes the Marie Kondo way, listening to new genres of music, dancing to new tunes..
6) Have Daily Walks and Talks
There are people who nourish your soul, comfort your being, know your values and triggers. Walk and talk…use the phone instead of video call and listen to the familiar tones, listen deeply, laugh at familiar jokes!. When we can’t reach out and hug everyone we care about, we may still find comfort in hearing them and feeling the joy.
7) Feed Your Body the Right Way
Caffeine, chocolate, sweets, heavy carbohydrates all bring out a latent sense of lethargy, heaviness, excessive high-strung emotional state. Try a simple trick, whenever feeling sapped, peel an orange, let the citrusy fruit wake you up from slumber, a refreshing glass of iced tea or a bowl of low sugar summer fruits to bring the lightness in mind and body.
Don’t forget…we are a wheel in motion..albeit a bit like a slow bullock cart this time…however we are still moving...
Our emotions are a journey too and no matter how isolated we feel one moment, we can know that this too shall pass…Sometimes, keeping ourselves busy is the best thing to do
Finally, Embrace this time!!
Just like you would nurture and comfort a child who is missing out going to the park and play; — reclaim your ability to comfort yourself. Even this time of being at home and isolated is giving you extra time to practise things which you have never thought possible, never explored earlier, give yourself the joy of little improvements and nourishment day by day…
“Find your rhythm in this storm”
Meet the Tough and Embrace, there is no short cut through this. With the staggering global population , by the time world gets vaccinated, we will be well into end of another year…so make the most of what’s in your control and chime with the flow…
Stay tuned for more on wellness…
