08 May Lockdown Hobbies
Are You Really Enjoying this Lockdown?
– Shivani Waikar
What were your plans for 2020? A Himalayan trek with friends, your first foreign tour, or learning swimming? I bet none of the resolutions made on 01/01/2020 could continue beyond Q1. Everyone had some plans and nothing could be more frustrating than knowing that we won’t be ready to live as per our plan and have to restrict back at our homes.
I would say 2020 to be the most EPIC year. We witnessed the impossible happening – exams getting cancelled, online teaching, working from home, Indian weddings with 50 guests or less. Even though we enjoyed not going to office, or exams getting cancelled, ask yourself once, are you really enjoying this? Is this good for your mental health? It is said, we develop as per our surroundings. Is home the best place for children to learn or is home the best place for us to work? When we go out, we socialize and interact with people keeping our brains active. Being at the same place for hours and days together is deteriorating your mental health without you knowing about it.
Earlier, taking a break mostly meant availing a vacation leave from office work, or taking a breather to begin something new and exciting. Going on vacation heals your mental health, thanks to nature’s healing ability. Viewing the gorgeous landscapes of forests, mountains, rivers and lakes; reduces anger, fear, stress, and increases pleasant feelings. In terms of health, it reduces blood pressure, maintains heart rate, muscle tension, and produces appropriate hormones required by the body.
So now you must be wondering how will you survive this lockdown? Though travelling is definitely not the choice, there is a long list of things you can do and keep yourself mentally healthy. Learn something new, maybe a skill that you wanted to learn as a child, or talk with your long-lost school or college friends, play the offline ludo board game, cook, decorate your garden, exercise, try out various yoga postures, play games you played as a child. The list can be long but it will have only one outcome – finding yourself, finding the inner peace, and not letting lockdown hamper your mental peace. The Human lockdown is introducing us to our creative skills. Many of us are have already started doing this by referring to Instagram and YouTube videos flooded with a variety of Things-To-Do that were left behind in our busy schedule.
So, if you haven’t begun that ONE thing that will make you mentally healthy during this lockdown, begin it now before it’s too late!
About the Author
Shivani is a networking engineer by profession. She explores new things and believes that writing is one of the best ways to network with people, and to express ourselves. Connect with her on LinkedIn.
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