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The global pandemic has affected each one of us in a number of ways. However, it also taught me these 8 important life lessons!
On the 1st of Jan 2020, I updated a new profile picture on my social media handles with the caption, ‘Swag se karenge 2020 ka swagat’ (Let’s welcome 2020 with swag)
Little did I know then, what this new year has in store for the entire globe. It has been more than five months, and we are cocooned inside our abodes. I would not say that life has paused or slowed down because the workload has multiplied. Since, everyone is at home 24/7, I am on my toes round the clock.
Meeting deadlines at work, home-schooling the kids along with the regular household chores is exhausting. I constantly have my plate full but have also made peace with the current situation. And I’ve accepted it as the new normal and that I am not the only one doing this since the whole world is in the same boat as me.
Life has turned upside down and there are many positive and negative changes in everyone’s life. This period has made me ponder on a few things and here are eight valuable lessons I picked up during the lockdown of the last few months.
8 Valuable lessons I picked up during the lock down in the last few months
Not that I did not know this earlier, but given the current times, it holds truer than ever before. This invisible virus does not consider your social status, it can contaminate anyone, from people below the poverty line to the elite class.
No matter how privileged you are, how substantial bank balance you have, you are still prone to it. The real and the only wealth you possess is your health and it can give you the best returns. Invest in it. (And in a dishwasher too!)
The last time I was gripped by fear was when my father was fighting with a chronic disease. Subsequently, with time, I contained myself and became resilient, if I may say so. However, the initial month of quarantine proved really tough for me.
With a constant fear of losing my loved ones, and unable to meet them for an indefinite time, took a toll on my mental health. I would break down often.
With all this, I was already depressed when the employment termination of many friends and colleagues at my workplace added to the misery. There was an incessant worry of keeping myself, my family, and our jobs safe.
We had booked our tickets to Italy for 17th March oblivious of the events planned for the coming days. (Since then, we thanked God a thousand times for saving us from the disastrous situation as it was the most affected country in entire Europe)
What if we landed there, what if we were stranded, what if our return flights were canceled. Many unanswered “what if’s” piled up leaving me distressed. That’s when I realised what real fear feels like.
I practice gratitude every day and this period has strengthened my belief in the significance of having an attitude of gratitude. Many little things in our day to day lives that go unnoticed otherwise, started to seem so valuable.
I cannot thank the Almighty enough for the roof over me, a plate full of meals, our jobs, and for shielding us from this monster. A big thanks to all my friends and family for supporting and assuring each other that this too shall pass. I can’t thank the medical staff for working overtime, teachers for going an extra mile for our children.
Immense gratitude for all the essential employees for working heroically. I am thankful for the technology that kept me sane, distracted, connected to my family back home. It definitely helped me to an extent in coping with this phase.
I would call it the biggest learning during the lockdown. We do not have a balcony in our flat so the huge windows have become my favourite spots. Here, I enjoy the rising sun and try to catch a whiff of blooms. But can it replace the freshness you get outdoors?
Caged at home all these days, one thing I craved the most is spending time in the lap of nature. I learned to value the blue sky, cherry blossoms, and the greens around like never before because sometimes, even these can be the privileges.
Since December 2019, I and my husband had been working under tremendous pressure at work hence we planned a few weekend getaways. We had applied for leaves and were all set to enjoy our much-needed break when coronavirus came crashing down on us.
That’s when I realised that the clock will keep ticking and it we who have to squeeze in time and value it. I learned to live one day at a time and to take one step and the make the most of every single moment.
‘Har pal yahan, jee bar jiyo, jo hain sama, kal ho na ho,’ holds true now, doesn’t it?
In the last four months, each one of us survived with the limited resources available to us. Due to the lockdown and restricted mobility, the buying was confined to online shopping, that too only for the grocery items. And people had no option but to go minimalist. Another reason was financial instability, for many.
This has definitely helped us control impulsive buying and curb the need to shop. And it was not difficult. Be it grocery, or household items, clothing, or any other items we thought were a necessity, were not really needed. Things were quite manageable with the least.
Adapting and embracing a minimalist lifestyle is doable and saves not just money but also space, time, and energy we spend in maintenance. In short, don’t be a miser but don’t be a hoarder either.
These strange times have taken a toll on most of us. Everyone is drained out emotionally, mentally, and physically. Things are tough for everyone but people are understanding, so it is time to be more generous, kind, and use our privileges for helping others.
Check on your family, friends, neighbours, colleagues, household helps more often than ever. Offer help, and support them in whatever way you can. Just be there.
Practice physical distancing not emotional. Lend an ear if they need it. Connect on video calls, messaging apps, and help each other in sailing through these testing times.
Many of my friends enrolled themselves in various courses. Some are learning a new language, others are trying their hands-on art, some are honing their cooking skills. And here I am. Doing absolutely nothing to up-skill myself.
In fact, I barely get time to write on my blog. Still, I am totally guilt-free because I know this is the best I can do. If you are enthusiastic about learning a new skill and can manage, why not!
But if you do not desire, let it be. Don’t let the societal pressure take over you or knock you down. Life is not a race, so don’t stress yourself more.
The world is a different place now. Everyone has different coping mechanisms and is trying to adjust. Life is unpredictable but this too shall pass, sooner or later and we will have tales to tell to our future generations. I hope the lessons all of us learned during this lockdown stay with us forever.
Until next time, take care and stay safe!
A version of this was first published here.
Picture credits: YouTube
Mom of twin girls, a blogger turned author, a dreamer, a traveler and an artist by heart. read more...
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Neena was the sole caregiver of Amma and though one would think that Amma was dependent on her, Neena felt otherwise.
Neena inhaled the aroma that emanated from the pan and took a deep breath. The aroma of cumin interspersed with butter transported her back to the modest kitchen in her native village. She could picture her father standing in the kitchen wearing his white crisp kurta as he made delectable concoctions for his only daughter.
Neena grew up in a home where both her parents worked together in tandem to keep the house up and running. She had a blissful childhood in her modest two-room house. The house was small but every nook and cranny gave her memories of a lifetime. Neena’s young heart imagined that her life would follow the same cheerful course. But how wrong she was!
When she was sixteen, the catastrophic clutches of destiny snatched away her parents. They passed away in a road accident and Neena was devastated. Relatives thronged her now gloomy house and soon it was decided that she should be married off.
Women today don’t want to be in a partnership that complicates their lives further. They need an equal partner with whom they can figure out life as a team, playing by each other’s strengths.
We all are familiar with that one annoying aunty who is more interested in our marital status than in the dessert counter at a wedding. But these aunties have somehow become obsolete now. Now they are replaced by men we have in our lives. Friends, family, and even work colleagues. It’s the men who are worried about why we are not saying yes to one among their clans. What is wrong with us? Aren’t we scared of dying alone? Like them?
A recent interaction with a guy friend of mine turned sour when he lectured me about how I would regret not getting married at the right time. He lectured that every event in our lives needs to be completed within a certain timeframe set by society else we are doomed. I wasn’t angry. I was just disappointed to realize that annoying aunties are rapidly doubling in our society. And they don’t just appear at weddings or family functions anymore. They are everywhere. They are the real pandemic.
Let’s examine this a little closer.
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