We spend our entire lives running around, hustling, working the usual nine to five, making sure the kids get all that they need, doing the chores, getting the groceries and falling prey to every other mundanity of life. But now at this unfortunate global emergency of COVID-19, the world has come to a halt and everything that we ran circles around seems so insignificant.
So for all the self-quarantine queens and kings, now is the time for you to take your mental wellness in account. Don’t you worry, since meditation at the top of Himalayas is out of question, all thanks to the horrid Covid-19, I have tailored a quarantine-friendly 7 fold path to help heal your mind.
Stop rolling your eyes at the suggestion before even trying. Hear me out, will you. We wake up with a Facebook notification, we go to bed scrolling through Instagram, and now that the world is still, you should consider pausing for a minute or two as well. So do yourself a big favour and disconnect from the jungle of social media, Funny cat videos, Susan from school and tweets from Chrissy Teigen can wait for a bit. Unplug yourself from the conundrum and find who you are when the virtual society is not watching your every move. Do you still like a cold pressed vanilla bean latte with soy milk if your Instagram followers are not noticing? Disconnect from social media and reconnect with yourself.
Dear diary, I missed you…
Go back to the basics, get your journal out and pour your heart in the faded pages of the hardbound diary. How simple was it when you were 13 and the person you liked asked you out. The first person to know that little secret was your diary, right after you gushed about it with your best friend. Things don’t have to suddenly change now that you aren’t 13-years-old anymore.
Pick up your pen and diary and write everything that has been on your mind, things that annoyed you, made you upset, but also the things that you are grateful for and moments that made you smile. Count your blessings and your tears so that your heart and mind can take a breather.
Put your yoga pants on
It is a scientifically proven fact that exercise releases endorphins, which will enhance your overall mood. So get your butt in those yoga pants, brush off the dust from your mat and start with some easy exercise.
If yoga is your jam then do some asanas, move those joints, feel your chest expand and unclog with every breath you take. Play some loud music and dance, do zumba if you may, but get your body going and witness your mood improving.
What’s your comfort food?
Cooking is a therapeutic experience if you are not serving under Gordon Ramsay. Think of your comfort food, it may be basic lentils and rice, pasta, risotto, chocolate chip cookies or even blueberry muffins. But this time, instead of getting it home delivered, make it for yourself.
Wear your old apron, play some nice music in the background, pour yourself a glass of Chardonnay and treat yourself with the comfort food that your soul craves.
Read the book you always wanted to but you never had the time for
We all have been guilty of hoarding books but never getting around to read them because life always comes in the way. Life is never going to stop, even in quarantine, so it is best if you pick that book you always wanted to read and lose yourself in the plot, sob when the character dies and laugh at all the cringey jokes. Give yourself a few moments of respite because you have earned it!
Reflect, introspect and retrospect
Don’t think of it as an invitation to overthink. All I am saying is that think of what you have done so far and what you want to do more. Don’t include petty tiffs in that mix. Just focus on the bigger picture. If that bigger picture makes you smile then you’ve got it right, but if it didn’t then don’t you worry, there are still miles to go before you reach where you wish to
1, 2, 3… OMmmmm
How cliche can I be?! I know right, but trust me, it works. Meditation, dhyan, sadhna, call it what you may, but it is the most peaceful state for your mind and body. Feel the vibrations of Om resonating through your body and leave all your woes behind. The universe is listening. Your karma will not let you down.
Inhale positive vibes and exhale all the self-doubt you have accumulated over the years. Love yourself because you are precious to this world!
You can go on a healthy diet, take probiotics, vitamins, enrol in a gym, and take every precaution known to man in order to take care of yourself physically. However, we often ignore our mental well-being.
Stress is part of adulthood, right? No, it isn’t. If stress controls your life more than you do then pause for a bit, re-evaluate your actions and strike a harmonious balance between your physical and mental health.
Your opinion matters