We have been staying indoors without any face-to-face interaction (or minimal) with the outside world for two months now.
Two months is not much time and in the normal course of time this period would have flown by without us even realising.
This time is different though. And it’s different for different people.
For professionals, office has entered their cosy homes snatching the comfort of their personal sanctuary that disconnected them from work. With homes turned into offices, there is zero space for relaxation, which adds to the work hours while taking a toll on the productivity.
People who are single in the city, with no partners for emotional support and no family members staying at home with them, their quarantine time is a never ending struggle with only web series and movies for their rescue.
For stay at home wives (or husbands), there is a different set of challenges. With the entire load of house cleaning, cooking, home schooling children and meeting demands of their family member, some of them are at risk of slipping into depression. The ‘me time’ that kept then sane is no longer available and all that is visible is the ever-increasing chores.
The mental health of children too is taking a toll as they have to start fresh countdowns with the extension of lockdown and plead with their parents to step out and play their favourite outdoor sport like they used to before.
On the brighter side, they are learning new hobbies and developing interest in household work. Children as young as six can now dish out several non-fire delicacies, clean their rooms like pro, and are developing important life skills.
Elderly have more or less the same routine but they tend to get affected seeing their children struggling.
Covid-19 has undeniably transformed our lives dragging us out of our comfort zones leaving us with no choice but to be content with the restrictive lifestyle that can keep us safe and healthy.
However, within these restrictions many of us are able to see the beauty of everyday life from the confines of our homes.
Looking within
With the entire focus on ourselves and our family and close friends, the disconnect from outside world has encouraged us to look within and analyse what we really want.
No wonder, people around us are pursuing their hobbies, reconnecting with their families, spending time with their little ones, taking out time for fitness, and training in basic life skills that they never got a chance to learn.
Kanika Johri, 30, a blogger and a known name in advertising industry, is spending her lockdown time in Lucknow with her family. “Well, when I couldn’t go out, I decided to go within,” says Kanika for who every day is a new discovery. She has learnt cooking, created her own website from scratch, developed a fitness routine that she is planning to stick to even after lockdown. She stays in Delhi, however, and cannot wait to “go back home and wear my own clothes!”
Priya Rajendran, a writer in her 30s, and a mom to a 5-year-old is making the most of the lockdown time by learning music and enrolling in an online fitness class to keep herself active and positive. “The best experience has been me pursuing my long-lost passion – music. I wanted to learn singing since years but because of a lot of reasons, I did not pursue it,” said Priya.
Go minimal
Then there are people who are looking at lockdown as a phase that highlighted the benefits of minimalism and they are planning to continue this way of life post corona crisis too.
Terming lockdown as a phase of detoxification, Meenakshi Iyer, a renowned artist and writer is enjoying the silence around her. The minimalistic way of life will be her companion for life, she says.
People are content with whatever they have during lockdown, and they are loving it. “I have learned to manage my resources well, as anything can be out of market anytime,” said Sana Syed, a writer from U.S.
Reuniting with family
For some it’s also time to reconnect with their families and hometown. Sudeshna B Baruah, an educationist and former journalist who recently returned to Assam after spending more than a decade away from her family, is grateful that she could live with her parents during this trying time. “Though it may not be all that rosy a picture for a girl who loved indulging in her independence and space, but I really like the fact that it is helping me undergo my own transformation in the process of reconnecting to my family and hometown, after years of staying in two different cities (Delhi and Bangalore) outside Assam.”
Life in a Metro: The major transformation
Who would have thought that life in a metro would slow down like this, but it has and for many this is one of the best phases of their lives as they are spending quality time with their family members and children. “Being a Delhiite I have never had the bliss of gazing at the stars and breathing clean and pure air for the longest time,” says Manpreet Kaur, a media professional and a doting mother.
“I must admit that these last 60 days have been quite an experience. From doing household chores, spending ample time with my family to finding my inner peace have been euphoric for me,” she added.
Working mothers like Dimpal Bajwa are enjoying every single moment spent with their kids. “I never did or never will get the opportunity to spend all days and nights with my son. He is in a phase where he is learning things, picking things fast and I feel happy to be around him at this point of time, “said the loving mother and a media personality.
Nidhi Vats, Founder of Story of Souls, found bliss in the uninterrupted mornings that came without any sort of tension and need to rush into things. “Life is in present moment, live it to the fullest,” she says.
Cooking therapy
Professionals who are staying alone and earlier ordered their meals are left with no choice but to cook. But not everybody is complaining and taking to the cooking therapy to beat their office blues.
“The best part of my day is after I am done with my office work and shut my laptop. Or when I cook, which is usually in the evening. It’s therapeutic,” says Shweta Keshri, a journalist and a former blogger.
“Best experience was the fun I had cooking food. I earlier used to be afraid of cooking, but no longer am,” says Anvita, a writer and a journalist.
Swati Chandra, a poet and writer from Varanasi feels that one thing that people should compulsorily learn is to cook as it comes handy in emergency situations like this. “Cooking is a survival skill and hence should not be limited to women. Every individual should know basic cooking, “she said.
Home cooked food is good for health and by cutting junk, one can actually manage ‘weighty’ issues easily. “I would like to stick to home-cooked food only post lockdown too. I guess it’s working as I am feeling less bulgy,” says Deepti Kaul a food blogger and a media personality.
Lessons from Covid-19
There are lessons galore from Covid-19 and lockdown time. It will for sure change the way we looked at our lives.
“One lesson I have learnt from this phase is to not take going out for granted,” says Vritti Bansal, founder of Binge, a food magazine.
Sana would like to remember this phase as “a learning experience that has made us patient to take life as it comes.”
“Slow down, savour the small moments of life!” advises Priya. “We can take charge in all situations,” believes Neeti Kumar, an HR professional.
Poonam Londhe who’s in HR operations, and getting a lot of time to spend with her husband and 7-year-old child these days, is thankful about the family time and will continue to utilize every moment of life to the best even post lockdown. “Life is unpredictable…make the most of the time in hand and have faith that God watches us and all will be well, ” she says.
A year down the line, Anvita would look at this phase “with relief, that the world was able to finally overcome what at one point seemed impossible.”