How did you spend your lockdown days
How did you spend your lockdown days
No experience in life is either entirely negative or entirely positive; it is a mixture of both. The lockdown episode similarly was not just an experience of a lifetime, but also a complete life changer. It altered the way we live, and it brought about changes in our thought processes as well. While it took away many things from us, it did give us a few things in return. It provoked in us the feelings of both happiness and sorrow. On some days, it seemed to be the most valuable time of our lives and, some other days it set new benchmarks to our frustration levels. It is safe to call it a mixed bag of events.
In the initial days, my physical and mental system treated this as an extended holiday. For about a week or two my daily schedule was a mess. Waking up late because I went to sleep late was becoming a habit. Not eating my meals at the right hours, prolonged hours of screen time, and the worst part was spending most of the time of the day in bed. All this was a part of my routine. This happened during the lockdown phase one. I repeated the same things day in and day out and slowly life started to become monotonous with each passing day.
Another thing that I did develop during this period was the absurd addiction to watch the news broadcast on every news channel. What began as a requirement to keep me updated about the Covid-19 situation; was slowly becoming an obsession. The direct effect of this was a mind filled with random negative thoughts and an increasing inherent fear of the Covid-19 virus. I seemed to have lost direction in life. Despite my parents giving me options of how to spend my time, I refused to change my ways. Although deep down, I was not happy with this monotony, yet I could not get myself to do more constructive things.
Towards the beginning of a ‘house arrest’ of this kind, calling up friends and chatting on the phone was an item on my itinerary. However, that too faded away gradually. Now it was me and my solitude; this was slowly taking its toll on my emotional and mental health. I grew irritated very easily and often reacted unnecessarily. Paranoia was creeping in very slyly as I found myself washing and sanitizing my hand too frequently. But as days passed and the government extended these lockdown phases, I became more and more mentally depressed.
The social media platforms became very prominent occupants of the larger part of my day, yet it was not all bad. One day while watching some online videos I happened to come across some motivational speakers. That is what brought about a U-turn in my life during the lockdown and I knew it was time to reschedule my days. The next morning was a fresh start for me. I set the alarm to wake me up early. And guess what! When the bell rang for the second time I was up and ready to begin my exercise.
After breakfast, I sat down to chalk out a healthy time-table for myself. It included time for studies even though the school work was at a halt. I decided to start looking through my new books which I had luckily received just before the lockdown. It was time for self-study. Before the end of that week, I realised that I had become independent to a great extent and more useful at home.
My action of sanitizing myself out of fear was now converted into one which is done as a precautionary measure. In fact, I had taken up the task of sanitizing every nook and corner of the house daily. Added to this, I put aside some time for my old hobby of painting, and also the one that I later developed, gardening. I found myself doing more and more new things like singing, playing word games, and at times, even dancing. When I felt that I did not want to do any of those extra- curricular activities, I dedicated some time to help my mother in the household chores. Surprisingly, I have taken a liking to cooking as well. I tried my hand at making some delicacies, of course taking the help of my mother. While some were super hits, there were some flops too; but that didn’t discourage me. I have understood I have to learn from my mistakes and not stop doing things just because I didn’t succeed the first time.
This is how the lockdown had positive effects on me; I became self-sufficient and also learnt how to use my energies in the right direction. All in all, I could say I have turned out to be a better and happier version of myself. Life no longer seems monotonous; it is full of exciting activities.
© Arked
No experience in life is either entirely negative or entirely positive; it is a mixture of both. The lockdown episode similarly was not just an experience of a lifetime, but also a complete life changer. It altered the way we live, and it brought about changes in our thought processes as well. While it took away many things from us, it did give us a few things in return. It provoked in us the feelings of both happiness and sorrow. On some days, it seemed to be the most valuable time of our lives and, some other days it set new benchmarks to our frustration levels. It is safe to call it a mixed bag of events.
In the initial days, my physical and mental system treated this as an extended holiday. For about a week or two my daily schedule was a mess. Waking up late because I went to sleep late was becoming a habit. Not eating my meals at the right hours, prolonged hours of screen time, and the worst part was spending most of the time of the day in bed. All this was a part of my routine. This happened during the lockdown phase one. I repeated the same things day in and day out and slowly life started to become monotonous with each passing day.
Another thing that I did develop during this period was the absurd addiction to watch the news broadcast on every news channel. What began as a requirement to keep me updated about the Covid-19 situation; was slowly becoming an obsession. The direct effect of this was a mind filled with random negative thoughts and an increasing inherent fear of the Covid-19 virus. I seemed to have lost direction in life. Despite my parents giving me options of how to spend my time, I refused to change my ways. Although deep down, I was not happy with this monotony, yet I could not get myself to do more constructive things.
Towards the beginning of a ‘house arrest’ of this kind, calling up friends and chatting on the phone was an item on my itinerary. However, that too faded away gradually. Now it was me and my solitude; this was slowly taking its toll on my emotional and mental health. I grew irritated very easily and often reacted unnecessarily. Paranoia was creeping in very slyly as I found myself washing and sanitizing my hand too frequently. But as days passed and the government extended these lockdown phases, I became more and more mentally depressed.
The social media platforms became very prominent occupants of the larger part of my day, yet it was not all bad. One day while watching some online videos I happened to come across some motivational speakers. That is what brought about a U-turn in my life during the lockdown and I knew it was time to reschedule my days. The next morning was a fresh start for me. I set the alarm to wake me up early. And guess what! When the bell rang for the second time I was up and ready to begin my exercise.
After breakfast, I sat down to chalk out a healthy time-table for myself. It included time for studies even though the school work was at a halt. I decided to start looking through my new books which I had luckily received just before the lockdown. It was time for self-study. Before the end of that week, I realised that I had become independent to a great extent and more useful at home.
My action of sanitizing myself out of fear was now converted into one which is done as a precautionary measure. In fact, I had taken up the task of sanitizing every nook and corner of the house daily. Added to this, I put aside some time for my old hobby of painting, and also the one that I later developed, gardening. I found myself doing more and more new things like singing, playing word games, and at times, even dancing. When I felt that I did not want to do any of those extra- curricular activities, I dedicated some time to help my mother in the household chores. Surprisingly, I have taken a liking to cooking as well. I tried my hand at making some delicacies, of course taking the help of my mother. While some were super hits, there were some flops too; but that didn’t discourage me. I have understood I have to learn from my mistakes and not stop doing things just because I didn’t succeed the first time.
This is how the lockdown had positive effects on me; I became self-sufficient and also learnt how to use my energies in the right direction. All in all, I could say I have turned out to be a better and happier version of myself. Life no longer seems monotonous; it is full of exciting activities.
© Arked