Stuck at Home?

Stuck at Home!

-By Soul Sword-

A lot of us are staying home or working from home to reduce the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Surprisingly, most of the people whom I interact with are annoyed at this. It looks like they prefer to go out and contract the virus than stay home.

I asked my friend why she was being so grumpy about this. She said it is boring to stay home. She said she always spends her weekends with her family or watching Netflix series or socialising. She is also active on social media and is now fed up about how everyone is talking just about the virus.

That is fair enough, I thought. I tried telling her that she should be grateful that we are still healthy. I reminded her that we are just asked to do our ‘small’ part in battling the pandemic while the healthcare industry takes care of the rest.

She didn’t seem to buy it.  I was not judgemental as every person’s preference and priority differs. I know her for a long time so I could imagine how tough it must be for her. But, I couldn’t understand how anything could be more important than one’s health. I didn’t say anything, as I didn’t want to upset her further.

She asked me why I seemed so calm about it. I said I am not outdoorsy. I said it must be very tough for her to be ‘stuck at home’ as she calls it. I might have sounded sarcastic so she asked me what I am doing while at home. I said I have a lot of things that I plan to do.

Being at home gave me one thing – TIME. Now, time is something that can be put to use in many ways.

They say if you do something for 21 days it becomes a habit. I thought I should utilise this ‘time’ add some things to my daily routine.

Meditation has always been a part of my morning routine. But most of the time it is the first thing I skip when I am running late or sleeping in. The reason I tell myself is that I am never going to be able to concentrate since my mind is on all the things I should be doing now. I now make it a point to meditate daily.

Timely meals are very important for a healthy body. While working, I tend to eat at odd times. I don’t take a break while my work is half done. So in the coming days I plan on eating a timely meal.

I have to Plan a workout and stick to it. I plan on including a lot of household chores in this and I have also tried this before. It feels refreshing and removes the monotony out of exercising.

Upcycling things have always been on my list. Now would be a good time to learn how to go about it.

Daydreaming is therapeutic. It is underrated. I guess it is because most of us daydream when we shouldn’t be doing it. Well now, I can daydream without having to worry. For starters, I would imagine what I would do when things return back to normal.

Shift around the furniture. I want to give the living room a different look. The whole place can look different with minor changes in the interior decor and placement of furniture.

Reading old journals and going through old photo albums have always been one of my favourite things to do. But I refrain from doing them because putting them back in their place is a nightmare. This is a good time to go through them and appreciate the good old times. Sending scanned copies of these to your friends or family will surely brighten their day.

Creating a new playlist. I have tons of songs that I love but still haven’t made a playlist out of it. I was lazy to create one so I make a note of any new song I like so that I can make a playlist one day. So that playlist is going to be made.

Keep up with the news. It is very important to get our facts right. So I make it a point to keep myself updated about the situation (From proper sources).

Finding an online course. I plan on taking online sketching classes. I like doodling and would love to take it to the next level. All you need is paper and pencils. (Feeling grateful for the internet)

Planting seeds in my tiny garden. Herbs, microgreens and Ipomea are my current favourites. I think everyone should give gardening a go if they haven’t tried it yet. You will be surprised how easily seeds sprout once you give them attention.

Books!!! My day isn’t complete without reading. I have so many books that I have stocked up which I would love to read. I easily get lost in the world of reading.

When I was done with my listing, my friend said she hadn’t thought about that. She said she hadn’t noticed that we had such contrasting personalities. She promised to try some of them before she hung up the call. I wasn’t convinced she would but I hope it helps her.

I myself am not sure if I will have time for completing all of these but I think this is a good start.

Staying at home and living a slower life is better than falling sick or making others sick. Prevention is always better than cure and this is a small price to pay.

Every part of the world is at different stages of battling the pandemic. Some countries are under full lockdown while some are under partial lockdown. Every new day is one step towards finding the cure or the vaccine. As we wait hopefully for some good news, let us do things that recharge our mind and refresh our soul. That way, we don’t feel stuck at home!

Wash your hands! Practice Social Distancing! Stay Safe!!!

-By Soul Sword-