It's hard - being cooped up for more than five months already. Everything is not as it seemed before and we are left to ourselves to figure out how to get by and create our own sparks of joy everyday. This article is all about the different ways I tried to maximize this time in my life. Being stuck at home is initially a burden to me. My work entailed driving out, going to places and meeting people continuously. I was required to live an outgoing life and this has exactly been the routine my mind, body and soul was used to prior to this whole thing. I had to give it up instantly, to quit cold turkey. At first, I was in denial. I assured myself this quarantine will be over in a month. I even tricked myself into booking flights abroad in succeeding months just to regain a sense of normalcy and make myself feel better. But on and on, flights continuously got cancelled and the quarantine got all the more extended. It was only in the second month that I realized this was it. This was going to be my life for the remaining months of the year. And if I won't do anything to get a hold of myself, I'll be losing it. So instead of continuously complaining and waiting, I turned things around for good. I decided that I will take over my life and that I will take advantage of this "more than usual" alone and home time I have in my hands now. 1. I started journaling and writing. Being cooped up in one place frustrates my mind and my heart. It generates unnecessary thoughts and a restless mind that, oftentimes, inhibit my sleep and productivity. But I do understand myself. I am faced with something that this generation, or perhaps the previous ones (Boomers), have never seen before. So I decided to face my worries and tackle my thoughts head on. And I learned that the best way to lay down, understand and determine next steps for my restlessness is through journaling. This could be as easy as jotting down what you currently feel or fear. It's a good way to digest and get your deepest why's on things. It clears up your mind and, at the same time, allows you to understand yourself better by knowing what to do next to solve your worries and fears. And who knows - perhaps I can sell my journal someday for future historians? 2. I adopted meditation either in the morning or before I sleep. My job can be pretty tedious. And it is absolutely helpful to have a healthy mind to keep me sane and able to balance the different responsibilities asked of me. I never did meditations prior to the quarantine, but now that there was no work-home physical space separation anymore, I needed to proactively compartmentalize my mindspace. I started meditating in the morning or in the evening, depending on when I am less busy. It allowed me to have a stronger and healthier control over my mind - allowing me to stop brewing worries before they become deep-set anxieties. It greatly helped me stay calm and motivated despite work life's uncertainty. This could be as easy as jotting down what you currently feel or fear. It's a good way to digest and get your deepest why's on things. It clears up your mind." 3. I went back to my first love - reading books!
Adult life has a funny way of keeping us busy 24/7 with adulting that we sometimes forget the things that brought us joy during our younger years. For me, it was reading. I've always loved the smell of fresh books. It gives me joy. And in much the same way, I remembered how I used to love just reading all day, without any care in the world, because I was so engrossed with my book. This childlike wonder and innocence was something that I got to revive this quarantine. I got to rekindle with an old self - one which was more carefree, more open to new learnings and more joyful with little things. This child-like spirit has allowed me to push through these times and to face each day with a sense of openness and joy. This is when I proved to myself that sometimes, it wouldn't hurt to look back and remember who I was before I grew the hell up. Reading books reminded me of who that person is and how that person feels. 4. I worked out more than ever. Working from home now entails just sitting around for a good eight to ten hours, unlike before when I can roam around the city to work, drive around to places for face-to-face meetings in different locations while making sure I have time to have dinner with friends at night. I am saving up on a lot of energy now more than ever, that sometimes I find it really hard to sleep at my usual bedtime. My body would still feel so awake and energized. And later on, I realized it was because I wasn't moving much the entire day compared to how I was before. It was a very unhealthy habit so I decided to force myself to work out more often now. I would don a cute pair of yoga top and pants in the morning to remind myself to workout around lunchtime or end of day to keep myself physically fit and use up all my pent-up energy. It made me more fit than ever and, at the same time, it brought back my usual sleeping habits. It contributed to an overall increase in productivity and it all just took sparing at least 30 to 45 minutes of my day to train my body into a healthier version of me. (Your future post-quarantine self will thank you for it!)
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CategoriesPurple Musingsis a site about love, life, travel and fashion. It aims to engrave in words all the beautiful things in life, capture the mesmerizing wonders of the world, and paint the soul using the harmony of words. Archives
March 2021
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