Lockdown: A Challenge or A Blessing?

Hello there!

After a long or I would say, really looooongggggg gap, I found time to upload a new blog on my website. Given to other obligations, I couldn’t come up with any life-enriching thoughts to share with you all. But now I’m here, to share what I have brought into practice during these Lockdown Days.

A lockdown can be a challenge for some or a blessing for others. Now it’s up to you, how you take it. Few extroverts might take time to accept and deal with such a phase, but it has done nothing new in the lives of introverts.

If you are one of those who can’t do or sit idly with a thought of satisfaction doing monotonous daily work, if you are a kind of soul who wishes to explore more every passing day, then this blog is for you.

So here I go…

Instead of just waking up daily in the morning (or you can read it afternoon or noon, as I don’t want to hurt the feelings of a few exceptional beings), doing the daily repetitive chores, official-work, watching TV, Netflix, YouTube, texting or chatting with the close ones, I love doing much more and productive things.

During the initial days of lockdown, I was spending most of my time on social media, scrolling through the memes, texting, watching series, etc. But soon, I started getting bored and I found myself tempted towards those old hobbies which were lost as soon as I stepped into the so-called busy world. Also, I’m unable to recall how the time was passing by with incomplete tasks in hand by the end of the day.

It was 8 pm, March 24th (no one can forget it), when the announcement for Nationwide Lockdown was made keeping in view the outbreak of a pandemic caused by Coronavirus disease (COVID-19), which is quite familiar to everyone now. After the announcement, I’m sure, many of us were dragged back by the thought of how to preserve our sanity being just at the home for such a long time.

On one side, the working class had to shift their desks to home, proved to be a challenge for those who have kids at home. For them,  performing their respective tasks on time became demanding.

And on the other hand, those who are in Schools, Colleges or Universities got a super-huge break. Though a few institutions are carrying out online classes, it cannot be compared to daily visits to the respective institutions and now the similar and the biggest problem for everyone is how to manage and spend time? 

But for a few, this lockdown didn’t bring much difference as they have a list of tasks that were left untouched for quite a long time, and I’m one of those. A few might be lagging behind in practicing their hobbies, this can prove to be the best time to begin with. Following are a few tasks you can start/ re-start in your home:

1. Meditate/ Workout/ Exercise: I started working out a few months back and with as much compassion it was started, it ended with the same vigor due to lack of time. Now I spend at least 30 minutes in the morning for it. I’m sure, most of you will also find yourself on the same lanes.  

2. Cooking: cooking and experimenting with new dishes is something I love. You too can explore recipes of new dishes online and try them with your family.

3. Gardening: being in touch with nature can really relax your mind well. And due to lockdown, I’m having much time to keep a track over my plants. 

4. Painting: I used to paint in my school-days, but now I’m yet to get back to it. I’m still not motivated towards it yet. Though, some of you can go for it and let the world see the creativity that has been dying there in your mind. 

5. Future planning/ Self-assessment: some of us remain dicey with our choices and plan, this is the best time to analyze, research and make plans for the future. 

6. Decorate your home, room, etc.: 90 percent of us have that dire in us to have the best interiors of our home, our way. What can be the best time to assimilate and work over it?

7. Skincare: those girls or even boys who skip their skincare can now get back to it.

8. Cupboard arrangement: it becomes a total mess amidst a busy schedule and it took me a whole damn day to fix it up. 

9. Bookrack: you might be having a few unread and read books, as well as some course books, mixing well with each other. Now you have time to separate them all.  

10. Resume writing: if you like writing, then you cannot get a better time than this 21-day lockdown. I had a crime-mystery plot for my second novel in mind which is finally getting shape in words now. Also, I wanted to compile up my write-ups, poems, phrases, that I’m doing now.

11. Those who are working from home must fix their working hours and adhere to that strictly. Also, do not forget to fix a particular space at home, away from the disturbances. Take short breaks, this will help to achieve the day’s target better. Take out time for the family and your hobbies as well to make it more fruitful by the end. 

I’ve set targets for each day now, as without targets we humans tend to get lazy. We can try having a memo with a list of tasks to be done, and then jot down daily accomplishments along with a date in that. Share it with people close to you, friends, or publicly on social media to boost others as well.

Along with analyzing yourself in that, you can allot time for each task to be performed daily. Such as 7-8 hours of the night’s sleep is enough, then after waking up, you can spend an hour or two in exercising and gardening. Thereafter, your work or course might demand 5-6 hours daily, after that you can allot two hours to your hobbies such as gaming, writing, reading, painting, etc. Thereafter, have some 3-4 hours for yourself, you can indulge in cooking, watching your favorite television serial or a series, podcast, etc.  And just 1-hour on social media will be enough to keep up with society. This way we can easily make the best out of the Lockdown Days.

Analyze your routine that you have been following for months or years now. Analyze what else you wish to do in life. Know what you love doing and let’s begin. With the beginning of the Spring Season, let yourself explore what new you can do. As life is all about exploring!

Stay safe and do not forget to care about people around you, not only the family members but your house helpers, helpless and needy people and stray animals as well. They all need you. We are having this one life, we all are sent here for some purpose, let’s start doing our bit now. These situations are the messages of mother nature that how brutally we are destroying its worth.

Let’s evaluate our potential to give our best to it back. Let’s be more productive than before. By the end of 21 days, you will be having something to tell others that you spent it well, that you had a productive lockdown.

Let’s live it to the best, instead of just breathing.

Cheers! 🙂

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