10 Sovereign Things to do at home:
The whole world is being affected by a deadly pandemic and the impact is tremendous that the world economy is under lockdown. The first priority of all nations is to curb the community spread and to save the lives of its people, As of today, 1,700,288 active cases of COVID 19 pertains all over the world, and total unfortunate death has been raised to 102,756.
The Government of India has successfully implemented a two weeks lockdown to prevent us from the community spread. In India, the total active cases are growing steadily rising to 7600 and the total death has reached over 249 as of today. People of India are put under lockdown for about two weeks and its recommended by WHO and other medical professions that to reduce the virus spreading, it is advisable to further extend the lockdown.
With growing tensions among the people with everything that’s happening in this world, it is a huge deal to remain positive. Growing anxiety, fear and mental breakdown are spreading across the country. During this period we need to take care of our mental health and relish our souls by preventing the emerging negativity. Sure, Netflix and chill sounds all fun but are you truly happy inside while you spend your whole day watching your favourite series? Here are some fun ideas to help you with various things to do at home in the never-ending lockdown period, let us live one day at a time, Slowly and steadily!
- Help people by making donations
We can all do great things while we still stay at home quarantining. All you have to do is find a reliable source for charity purposes and donate money. Keep in mind that even a hundred rupee contribution matters the most as there are a lot of daily wage workers unable to provide nutritious food like vegetables, fruits and milk to their family. If at all there’s one good thing we can do to save people, it is contributing to the people in need of food.
- Keep a journal:
Yes, you’ve heard me right! A lot of us think we are all meant to be outside chasing the stars and tasting the sunshine, and we think a person like me cannot do anything productive at home. But the truth is, We all can be productive if we have the right mindset. Let us take small steps daily, by start doing one thing at a time which we consider important. Remember, there is no need to rush up anything as this is the time to slow down and replenish our tired souls.
You might be probably rolling on your bed, mindlessly scrolling on your feed while you’re reading this. I want you to do something right now!
Take out a pen and a notepad. You can even use your notes available in your phone. Make a list of things you need to improve in your life. Categorize them as Mental health, Physical, spiritual, intellectual, career, relationships and figure out what would your ideal self be doing while excelling at all these above- mentioned things. This is how I like to categorize, you can always focus on what you need to improve in your life.
After writing how you would want to see yourself in these areas, also make a list of things you could do at home during this lock down so that you can improve yourself. Say for an example, I see my ideal self in my mental health category as someone with mindfulness and act more compassionately and empathetically, to improve these qualities, I decided I should live more consciously by meditating, doing yoga and journaling.
- Pick up a hobby
A good hobby is entertaining and will enhance your life. Remember that you can always pick up a hobby and spend your time in improvising it. Luckily, There are a lot of free resources available online, Skillshare is one such platform where you can watch videos of experts teaching you skills such as creative writing, blogging, marketing, cooking, etc...
- Engage with your family
This is a precious time for a lot of families who have been apart from each other for a long time, to stay under the same roof and enjoy each other’s company. To make the most out of this quality time, you can pick up a game that everyone enjoys and spend time playing it. This type of activity helps you in reconnecting with your family members you’ve lost touch with. Some of my recommendations are karaoke time, there are many apps available online, playing monopoly and outdoor games like badminton. What we do as a family is to play card games and have interesting times together.
- Move your body
During these times of social distancing, it is important to do our workouts independently at home to stay fit. The space at your home is enough to do some regular workouts to remain fit. Right after you wake up, make sure to do some stretches to release the tension you feel in your body. Remember, by exercising you release the hormone called endorphin, which keeps you happy throughout the day. You can watch fitness videos from platforms such as youtube, Curefit to get some workout inspiration.
- Read Read Read
A lot of us due to work pressure would have probably stopped reading and now is the perfect time to resume it. And a lot of people would always want to start reading, they just keep waiting for the right time. Now is the right time, my friend. Reading helps you improve your vocabulary, helps you improve your English communication skills. Reading fantasies is the best escape we can all experience amidst this chaos! And for the people who like to read non- fiction, I have some amazing book recommendations.
- Fiction suggestions:
- A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari
- Work
- rules by Laszlo bock
- Becoming by Michelle Obama
- A brief history of time by Stephen Hawking
- I know why a caged Bird Sings by Oprah Winfrey
- Fiction suggestions.
- Harry Potter by J.K Rowling
- The Alchemist by Paulo Cohelo
- All the light we cannot see by Anthony Doerr
- Romance, young adults suggestions:
- All the bright places by Jennifer Niven
- Holding up the Universe by Jennifer Niven
- The fault in our stars by John green
- Where rainbows end by Cecelia Ahern
- The sun is also a star by Nicola Yoon
( All of these are my personal favorites, also if you don’t have any book with you at home, there is kindle for your rescue or if you want to read books for free there’s this app called anybooks where you get to download books for free)
- Netflix and a balance.
We can always spend time watching your favourite series and movies but make sure to schedule a reasonable amount of your time watching them. I would advise spending an hour or two catching up with your favourite show. Sure, binge-watching sounds fun and all but could you imagine placing that amount of time in learning a new skill, building a business plan?
- Get back in touch with an old friend
A lot of people feel awkward to get back in touch with an old friend, they keep on procrastinating it. If you genuinely care about that person and if they seem special and important in your life, now is the right time to have a real talk and relive those old memories.
- Listen to podcasts
Instead of falling in the constant loop of listening to the news, looking at the endless Whatsapp forwards, let us do something positive. Always be mindful of what content you are consuming on an everyday basis, be conscious about what you listen to, whom to talk with and what you read.
It takes courage and grace to remain positive in such uncertain times. If you listen to positive success stories, or mindful affirmation your mind automatically shifts to a positive vibration which will help you doing productive things throughout the day. There are many free podcasts available by successful and inspiring people available on spotify, youtube.
My personal favorite for when I need a success story: The purpose by Jay Shetty
when I need to slow down and let go of my inner conflicts: Deepak Chopra and Lavendaire’s podcasts.
- Eat mindfully
Last but not the least consume healthy and nutritious food in the face of coronavirus. Hydrate your body by intaking a lot of fluids, make tea out of mint leaves and jeera, it relaxes your mind. Drinking green tea keeps the anxiety at bay. Intake lots of fresh vegetables and fruits, don’t fall under the trap of munching junks frequently. Let us take this time as a chance to improve our diets for the better.
This is a period of uncertainty, a lot of unfortunate things are happening around us but still we always have a choice to focus on the good, to look at the bright side. Instead of complaining about things that are not happening to our favors we can spend this time to improve ourselves a little better. Remember, let us take one step at a time. Breathe. Inhale love, hope and positivity and exhale doubts, fear and anxiety!