Well, none of us anticipated an invisible Virus can be such a threat even more than nuclear war, that mankind will be locked up in their own home. As usual I had travel plans, I was going to Tasmania with my girls and I had pictured the trip quite a lot of time, everything was booked and we all were excited until this CORONA took the world in its cruel grip. I planned this year to be my travel year, Tasmania, US, Latin, Macchu Picchu and New Zealand were in my travel bucket, however it reminds me, we humans have so much ego and need for control still we are so helpless in front of tiniest of the things, resulted from our notorious poking of nature and wildlife.
I believe its nature way of asserting a forced pause, we have been ruining the planet and we were restless, constantly complaining about lack of time for activities, we want to do while at home. And when we are finally at home we are struggling again, about how to pass this time, as we never imagined an impact of a pause, in our fast-paced life.
Anyway, it’s time to retrospect, and also pray for the countries and people infected by this virus and several other people, involved through their job to fight that. I think we all forgot to be grateful about all the freedom we were blessed with, we were rushing, we were slaves of our jobs, our daily chores and living a mechanical life. Now is a good time to do many things we never had time for. I am just pouring my thoughts here how I am going to cope with isolation, because we all should be sincerely doing that.
This isolation can be an opportunity to reconnect and rediscover.
Here is what I am doing:
1. Time Travel - A walk to the memory lane
All these years I have been traveling and clicking pictures, I keep posting but then never get time to look back. I just found out my old hard drive and couldn’t stop smiling to see my old pictures and fun we had with my friends back then. Many of these people I have not even talked in years so I have decided to call them on watsapp and surprise them that I still exist and remember them.
I could collect so many pictures and memories I had completely forgotten, I did not even remember how many folders, in so many drives I have been collecting.
So I decided to even organize them so that I can easily look later and go back in time. I easily passed several hours being aware of time, and I truly enjoyed my time travel with my photos and videos.
2. Fitness dreamer
In our daily life, the thing that suffers the most is fitness, be it mental or physical. I really admire people who are regular to the gym or maintain a constant fitness regime and at the same time I am jealous i don't have that drive towards workout.
I have always hidden under my busy schedule and exhaustion. This time i am really trying to come out of my comfort zone, and working on my fitness in reality than just dreaming about a great figure.
After waking up everyday, instead of browsing my mobile for watsapp msgs or fb updates I play Isha Meditation music on youtube, well it has become my favorite nice positive vibes, and starts my day with peace.
I am devoting 1 hour for Yoga, following Shilpa Shetty 40 mins yoga, well one can follow Baba Ramdev too, but i have no shame in accepting, Shilpa Shetty gives an inspiration thru her well toned body and that's why i happily follow what she says. I have developed quite a bit of flexibility in last few weeks. Also daily pranayam and meditation has increased my stamina and Focus. I am also less temperamental, otherwise i mostly have a quick reaction to any BS.
While going another level on this fitness i have also tried some delicious salads and sandwiches. There is one app in particular called HOME WORKOUT, which i found very practical to follow, I started as a beginner addressing each area every day, Abs, Legs, Chest
and then moved on to intermediate. It feels like a personal trainer and you can keep track of your time and calories, best part you can do it anytime, anywhere when you feel ready.
3. DIY Projects
Well I love doing DIY and make over my walls, old furniture, organize my junk and enjoy the creativity while decorating the house, this time I am doing several things:
Wanderlust wall - with the amazing wooden background vinyl wall paper which can be acquired from Bunnings or Kmart. I bought it during my visit for urgent supplies for isolation.
Furniture make over – Well there were old shelves, tables, bench, and a small wall hanging, which I was planning to sale as its of no use and is now old. But this isolation gave me an opportunity to recycle and renew these items so far I have recycled a
Bench
Shelves
Wall hanging - Well use a frame add some wires and clips and here you go.
Table
Bottles Recycling – Well my sister is an ace artist, if you happen to follow @itsahappyworld on Instagram you would know she is quite famous. This art of beautifying old bottles I learnt from her, using simple craft equipment and since then I think twice before rejecting any glass bottles. Its fun how you can create a beautiful vase or a lamp from just a bottle, its about seeing the potential in otherwise ordinary things.
Clothes recycling – I found several clothes during organizing my wardrobe which were good but I found them boring so were no longer using it, I could easily design new cushions, sheets and stylish bags from these and if that creativity is not you, at least this can be given to some charity for reuse while it also helps us gets organized.
Poster making Art and Craft – I remember my childhood days when all of us siblings used to collect charts and made a big poster for our room, every year with a different theme.
4. Gardening
Well I was never much of a Gardner due to lack of time, now when I am working from home the time, I invested in traveling I am easily able to manage that with my plants and backyards. In one of the books of Deepak Chopra that I read he has specifically mentioned one Law in his 7 Spiritual Laws of success is to spend time in nature, well I am preparing my own space of nature within my backyard and so far it has been rejuvenating and enriching.
I am learning so much about the plants like which one need Sun, more which is better in shade, the quantities of water each reacts to, as quoted.
“We learn from our gardens to deal with the most urgent question of the time: How much is enough?”
Consequently, I am learning, how to multiply from one plant to many, how to put a tress for creepers. I have imagined a beautiful backyard with all fences covered in creepers, loaded with flowers and later on I plan to make my own outdoor dining under Pergola with solar lights and artistry.
“To plant a garden means to believe in tomorrow”
So while I am dreaming the future, it also means positively that there are better times ahead.
However, one thing we get to learn from Gardening is patience. Because you never grow a garden for today, you always grow it for tomorrow
5. Implore the hidden reader in you
Many of my friends don’t read, I think they don’t have the patience and inspiration one requires to start some reading; I struggle myself several times, but its always a matter of few pages that sets the pace of reading. My recommendation its "now or never" for you, this is the best times one can pick a book and immerse in the world created by the Author. Reading has always inspired me to travel as quoted –
“The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.” – Dr. Seuss
Read
ing is not just a hobby, it’s a lifestyle, you learn, you ponder, you float there and develop not just your vocabulary but your knowledge on culture, on expressions while being emotionally involved and every book teaches something if you pick wisely.
“Once you have read a book you care about, some part of it is always with you.” – Louis L’Amour
I have collected so many in India, but here I have few, some I have read some are pending, I plan to read each one of them and also to re-read the ones I loved.
Here is my list for re-reading:
1. Many lives many Masters by Dr Brian Weiss
2. 7 Spiritual laws of success by Deepak Chopra
3. Freedom – by Osho
4. Emotions and Relationships – by Sadhguru
5. Jaya – by Devadutt Patnaik
6. Anything by Ruskin Bond is worth a read, and inspires you to see beauty in simple life, all the books are full of good vibes.
My first-time reading list:
1. Life and Death
2. Miracles happen by Dr Brian Weiss
3. Kalki
4. Fatal mistake by Karen. M Davis
5. Stars across the ocean mostly finished.
6. The Couch Potato
Yes I am sure 95% of the male species will be spending their time on couch crunching something while watching Netflix series in a marathon, while it’s a good and easy way to entertain, you will not even know how much you are straining your eyes and mind (not applicable for books). Well guys get up and get to the kitchen, its time you share some cooking responsibilities with your parents or partner and may be experiment a meal instead of throwing excuse that who will be able to survive my food. Well considering this will go as a bouncer to many of the lethargic lot here is what I loved on Netflix
1. Heartland – A series from Canada, beautiful people, good vibes no unnecessary drama or suspense, kindness, community and nature this series teaches a lot about happy living and also being humans. It doesn’t stress your mind but gives you something to enjoy and learn. I love horses so I learnt a lot about horses thru this series.
2. When calls the Heart – old school romantic, but not just Romance, the power of womanhood, the kindness of simple community, the happiness of celebrating, sharing the grief, and each episode has a message. Highly recommended you can watch with your family and kids it’s a very friendly series again I believe Canadians are winning, with their observation of simplicity in life and healthy thought process.
3. OUTLANDER- Loved it due to Scottish history, I love Scotland has nice historical details of the war and times, I am anyway fond of anything which relates to History.
4. Gilmore Girls – interesting daughter and mother relationship
5. Tudor – complete English history and Monarchy Politics
6. The Last Kingdom – Historic theme, relates to Vikings, the cast is awesome.
7. The Ranch – nice comedy and Cowboy lifestyle
Well rest are famous and known so I just listed the others here. No more tips on that as I know people have watched more than I had.
7. De-clutter and organize-
Well, Well, Well while all ladies will understand, this can be specifically good time for your husband and Kids to learn some basics of organizing.
· Wardrobe Raid – “Try, walk, accept, reject, repeat” – you can organize your own fashion show, where your husband and kid, can judge you and based on the votes you get on each item, you can reject or accept what you have been collecting. Make some space and this will give you an opportunity to rethink your style, while someone can actually wear the ignored clothes, that you have been keeping for some day which will never come.
· Kitchen Inspection– So many times in the daily rush we don’t even notice what we are collecting and where things are buried and we are just buying new supplies, clean, refill label and reorganize and that way at the end you will have a beautifully set kitchen. Such a satisfaction to see things organized, I know most of you can imagine the feeling.
Storage Audit – We have storage beds carrying old rotten clothes, quilts, blankets, sheets and some useless party wear stuff. This is time to donate some blankets sheets etc to needy, while you organize and de-clutter your storage. Even store room have so much junk, you can identify items for recycle, restore and reject.
Bedside table, bathroom cupboard, Chester drawers are next items which can be taken abroad for de-clutter and organization, time to throw old expired cosmetics, creams, broken combs, clips etc
8. Enhance your CQ (creative Quotient)
In my college days I used to love poetry, and even memorized so many poems and shayeris. Later on I wrote some myself, and even made a blog after that busy lifestyle bit me and completely forgot about it. Few days ago I had the chance to re-look and refresh my memories about them. Here are some snapshots on what I found. http://swatantra-soch.blogspot.com/ (if you want to read too)
I also grabbed one of the great book of poetry by my friend he has written brilliant poems, "Letters from a Stranger" I just had time to do another read and soak myself in Poetry. This is an awesome read
Here are some of my favorite verses.
9. Exploring the Chef inside
Last but not the least, which most of you are already exploring. Ladies its time to loose a little control and give reins in the hand of your partner and equip them with survival skills of for living and somewhat to our happiness as well .
Well guys, its time to cook something for your mother, wife, girlfriend or daughter, don't worry about the experiment most of the men are great cook, you just have to explore this field.
10. Relax, Observe and Pray for the world healing
Don't underestimate the power of prayers, there are so many people suffering out there, and if you are lucky to be isolated with your family, pray for those thousands souls who are struggling to recover or for food and earnings, sometimes we forget how privileged we are and this has reminded us the position we hold in this world, that a single invisible virus can completely left us helpless, its time to spread more kindness, positivity and happiness around, keeping aside our differences and Egos.
Well, I am sure, I will creatively utilize my time during isolation while acquiring some healthy habits, and might have inspired you too :).