LOCKDOWN THOUGHTS

-things this pandemic seeds in me.

"Hey 2020,You will be always remembered in the world history”

Being a human, it is common to have some desires and future goals. But the destiny has some other idea. Some of us are working from home, some of us are in college days, Some of us got placed and waiting for a call letter, Some of us still looking for a company. Whatever it may be, I can see people with lots of depression,disappoinmens, consider themself as a failure.

I am neither a philosopher nor a polymath. The places I visited, the persons I have come across, the situation we are all in right now made me to give it a piece if writing that I have learned so far.

I am not insisting anyone to take up the things I have mentioned here. Just thought of sharing the simple ways I found happiness within and around myself. Pick it up if you found this as insightful.

1) WELCOMING A DAY

Atleast once in this lockdown,we have come across many videos in social media proposing the things to do in lockdown. Most of us watch, give it a like, and plan to include it in our routine. Consistency comes into play here,,! How long we do follow may be a week or a month. Then,,,,,?

Don’t make the things complicated by filling up complex tasks in your mind. Just do it on a go. Have a cup of lemon and mint warm water or have a green tea. Do a early morning sun-gaze. Nurture yourself by doing yoga or walking or simple home workouts.Before planning the things to include it in your routine, just ask yourself once and imagine the outcome and feel the joy you are getting as a result of things you follow. Then things will be smoother. Before starting your to-do list everytime, just feel the joy within yourself, this will definitely fuel up yourself and brings out the best in you.

For eg., you are planning to do exercise everyday and it will be in your bucket-list. But its not easy to wake up and do the workout consistently on a daily basis. Before getting off the bed, just close your eyes and imagine yourself as a freaking fittest guy in the town. Feel the things you are getting as a result of your physique, it gives you a immense feel. Then kick start your day everytime before starting workout.

Similarly, we can apply this to all our to-do lists. It will make it simply easier.

2) USING A DIGITAL WELLBEING ON OUR PHONES

World is getting smarter with smart phones. Everything we want to know, is in our hands. But we are knowingly or unknowingly spending too much of time in social media platforms. I am not the one who is standing against the usage of social media but proposing to use it in an effective way.

Usage of mobile phones is drastically increased in this lockdown times. Because we are not mentally committed to any such things like going to college or office. This will make us to use our phones not whenever it needed but whenever we are bored. Ofcourse many social media platforms keeps updating us in every single minute in some useful ways. But sometimes we are distracted towards stressful games and unwanted chit-chats.

I feel good about myself because I am not getting into any mobile games which sucks our quality time. Its alright to spent some time for our favorite games but it’s too dangerous to spent more time in gaming apps. If you are a gaming person, try to use only limited hours.

If you are a movie freak, try to pickup the movie from different journals from different languages. I personally believe and experienced that the movies from other languages gives us a different perspective. There is something good in everything. Try to take away something in every movie you watch. Get a deeper look into the background they used, the way the character is fixed, understand the meaning of lyrics, feel the music, learn the culture,etc,,, It will give you a feel-good time. Pick up some movie, suggest some of your friends who is mentally aligned like you, watch it, review it together. Try to limit the amount of movie you watch depending on your schedule.

I personally recommend to keep app-timers for every app you are using in your phone often. This will make you to limit the amount of time you spent with your phone. Set a grey scale mode in night time which will limit your usage of phone in night time.

Try to text less and make it a call if you really want to talk to your friend. Its good to have a large network of friends but pick only few whom you will be align with and be in touch with them regularly. After a hectic day, have a talk with your stupid friend before going to bed it will feel like having a dessert after a heavy meal. Decide your stupid ones and get in touch with them regularly and thank them later for being an unpaid therapist.

3) HAPPINESS LIES IN SIMPLE THINGS

This lockdown makes me to believe that happiness is not something which is found outside. It is found within and around yourself. It costs nothing to be happier. Making up your bed after waking up is one good thing which laid a perfect day. Spending time to sweat out in the morning makes you feel that you are not a lazy one. Helping in the kitchen never makes your mom to feel tired and lonely. Having a home-made breakfast with the family is priceless Helping mom and dad in every activity costs you nothing but it makes them to feel good about their upbringing. Nothing matches the happiness of the saplings that you seeded a week before. Taking care of your physical appearance will make you a self-confident person. Preparing a lunch for the family once in a week with the help of youtube videos makes your mom to take leave from the kitchen atleast once in a while. You will really feel good about yourself when your newly tried dish turned out to be your family’s favo.

If you are the one who is centered in the town, utilize this time to know your needs of surroundings and take a step to market the things which is not available there. Don’t hesitate to do any work. There is no such work is scaled high or low. Use your skills to introduce some creative ideas. If you are planning to be entrepreneur, just spend some amount of time everday. Keep working on it. Take a statistics and give a deep research. Dig deep until you gain the courage to step into it.

If you are the one who is centered in the village, give it a wider perspective of your surroundings. There is lot more you can do with the help of your education. If you are a techie working an MNC company having an agricultural land, this is a time to get your hands dirty on farming. Don’t underestimate the power of your soil. Chirping of birds, smell of soil, sounds of water entering the fields, view of greenary, gives us a immense pleasure. Have a gratitude for every small things around yourself.

“Don’t measure your standards on someone’s scale”

4) HAVING A CONTENDED LIFE

More than 90% of the people around us running towards 9 to 7PM jobs. If we ask them “Do you really enjoying your work?”, the answer might be no for more than half a percent of a people. Our education system did not laid a platform to identify and work on our skills instead it throws as two or three chosen paths and push ourself to excel in it.

Everyone should ask themself “Do I feel my heart and soul aligned in this job?”, “Do I found my mental peace here?” “Do my hunger for learning is fulfilled in my current job?” “Do my creativity plays a major role?” If the answer is yes for all, then you are in a right track, if it is no then you are doing it for your financial needs.

Personally I suggest you people out there please try to take risks. This is the time you get to know better about yourself. Keep digging yourself until you find the best version of yourself. Once you find where your heart lies than you are the king in your own kingdom. Owning something that paves the way for your creativity, that make you a decision maker, that gives you time independence, that makes you feel like a boss, is better than being loyal to the company that sucks your energy and provides you a mere salary. May be this path is not like a bed of roses, it is full of thorns. But at the end of the day it will make you feel prouder, it will give you a irreplaceable satisfaction. This path never distance yourself from family, it will bring you closer to your family. Sustain in your routine work until you gain the courage to take risk. Don’t quit without any pre-planning. Because most of your family is dependent on you. Once you are financially stable, don’t give it a second thought of diving into your field of happiness. There is a line which strongly makes sense to me when I read the book “RICH DAD POOR DAD” and it goes like this:

“If you work for money,you give the power to your employer. If money works for you you keep the power and control it”

Invest your earnings wisely and find a smart way to multiply it instead of wasting in buying luxurious things.

“Don’t rise your financial standard by losing your health,happiness and identity. Have a contended life.”

I believe that sharing is caring. I just shared some of my own perspective which differs from person to person. Take it in you if it really make a sense.

Feels happiest atleast one single thing I mentioned here makes a difference…!