There is no other example than COVID to understand that external situations are never under our control. Change is the only constant!
If you are staying at home, instead of burdening yourself with the loss of being stuck in a situation, try to do the next best thing. The whole world is locked up; businesses are all under loss; the economy of every country is affected. Our state of mind and the thoughts we create add to our planet’s collective consciousness.
Allow your mind to look at the positive aspects of your life, rather than what is obvious. Start your day with gratitude to all that you have. Ancient cultures have mentioned that the time we go through such tough external situations on the planet, it is an opportunity to come out of it with a brand new perspective.
So, allow yourself to get a higher view of what’s happening, with faith and trust in the universe that everything is for good at the end. While you have time on your hands, don’t forget to be happy, dance, and enjoy yourself. All the positive emotions add to a faster replacement of negative energy around the world. Who knows, your one smile can bring out a person from their deepest wounds.
Observe your habits and ways for a day. Take inventory of all your thoughts. I am sure there is so much more for us to upgrade ourselves with. If you talk in certain sentences that are predictable to people around you, try and change your sentences. Be generous in allowing yourself to enjoy all the time that you have. Take into consideration your thoughts to change your way of thinking.
We are so amusing and entertaining, only if we took the time to observe ourselves more carefully. Instead of watching television and mentally removing yourself from your own life, try to invest time in reinventing your thoughts, words, and actions. Pamper yourself in ways that you have fantasied before. My New Years’ resolution was to invest my time in growing my hair, thicker and longer. Neglecting any aspect of life affects us in several ways. This is a great time to invest in self-care being honest to yourself and to end negligence and denial.
[Also Read: Self Care During COVID-19 ]
You have been a consumer until now. Try producing your own vegetables and fruits
Even if you have the smallest space, a small pot of growing something makes us think beyond us and care for something other than us; that will allow us to be occupied. There is so much joy in seeing small sprouts! I am sure it will bring joy and something else to think about instead of repeating current situations in your mind.
One-pot will double into two and more in no time. We, humans, are self-sufficient and have to return back to our natural ways. We have taken so much from nature; we owe it to us and the earth.
I ask several of my clients what they did when they were younger (ages 11-14). Some had nothing as they spent more of their time with technology. Our previous generations spent a lot of time on hobbies of some kind. We have distanced ourselves from enjoying the small pleasures of life. We have forgotten to cultivate hobbies that soothe our souls. Sleeping and watching TV are not hobbies.
A hobby is something where you forget yourself and indulge in enjoying something for a few hours in a day. When you come out of that zone, you should be recharged completely. If you are already good at something and want to get back into it, this is an amazing time. If you enjoy washing your car, allow yourself to extend that favor to your neighbors, which is a great workout without going to any gym.
[Also Read: The Best Essential Oils for Mental & Emotional Health During COVID-19]
Turn off television! Television or any kind of electronics drags you out of reality. By feeding yourself with news and fear of dying, you are harming yourself. The present is so beautiful, so allow yourself to observe your life and your relationships and see what needs extra work. Watching people on TV and laughing and crying with them is not going to fix anything in your life.
Nowadays, we have come to the conclusion that reading is boring. But reading a book in a week will upgrade some part of your brain that has been damaged by smartphones. Listening to old classics is a great way to escape into the lives of another era.
I personally went to sleep with my uncle playing old Hindi songs. To this day, if I have any chores that are longer than I want, I take the help of old Hindi songs; it calms my mind and gets things done for me, without procrastinating and complaining. Music that is calming adds more to life.
All diseases are due to a bad routine and lifestyle. This is a great time to change it. How many of us have spent half of our life saying ‘no time’ as an excuse to change our ways of eating, or waking up too early hours? Our body is abused to such an extent that it is now inviting diseases of several kinds with just that one excuse. ‘
I have no time.’ Now is the time to fix your eating habits. Introduce yourself to one good habit, every week. With in a month, you will have 4 new habits that are good. Small changes matter! Who are you neglecting yourself for and why? You have all the time in the world. Be the change!
[ Read: 3 Inner Life Practices to Avoid the & Quarantine 15 ]
It’s handy. It has become very easy to buy our favorite food. We have no clue how time-consuming cooking that is, though. When it is easy, we tend to eat a lot more, when you make it yourself, you will know what ingredients go in the recipe and see if you even need it in your life.
My fav is still Panipuri, but it is time-consuming to make it from scratch. The first time I made it, I was not sure if I really needed to eat it ever again. This is a great way to get rid of all the junk food, as we discover that the ingredients and combinations are not that healthy to eat.
[Also Read: Healthy Meal Plan & Recipes During Quarantine]
There is never a good time than now to do DIYs. Now you can let yourself do something with your home; replace bulbs, re-do your picture frames. My husband picks up new projects every day. In just a few months, we have a vegetable garden, berry bushes, and every bulb in the house lights up. Get back to being that handy man/woman!
If we all could make an effort to fix small things around, we can make a world that’s beautiful without complaining or waiting for someone else to fix it for us.
In our everyday working time, we have definitely not prioritized our relationships. Since we were busy, we have gotten used to old patterns. People living at home may have changed. How you view your relationships also may have changed. Upgrade your relationships, and you will be able to understand that people grow differently. Sit down, have a chat about how you feel in your relationship. Discuss what expectations you have to make it better for the future. Explain to each other your new likes and dislikes. It will mean a lot to your dear ones.
Make the most out of the current situation. Our biggest issue is that we think we have no expiration. Enjoy the present so much that it melts in your mouth.
Experienced Registered Yoga Teacher ERYT-500 and ERYT-200 Registered Prenatal Yoga Teacher RPYT Reiki Master Karuna Reiki Master SSR Integrated Energy Therapy (IET) Specialty Studies: Ayurveda Obstetrics, Dermatology, and Gynecology.