It has been almost 60 days since the Lockdown.
Crazy 60 days.
Let me ask you a simple question.
How have you been during the Lockdown?
The real answer that you don’t tell anyone but yourself.
Not the socially correct version, or not a politically right one.
While I have been swamped, hyperactive, and exceptionally emotionally charged during my last 60 days of Lockdown, I have survived and realigned a lot in my life with exciting twists and discoveries.
Today I thought of indulging over self-discovery about things that have helped me during this Lockdown.
Surprisingly, constant and random validating hugs to my younger one during the day time has been fine find. Her reason to come to me while I am working is to disturb me, but I have converted it to a game. At first, she resisted my random huge, and bust of emotions. Randomly squeezing your child is such pure bliss. Now, after days of doing it as often as I can, we both have become accustomed to this unsaid new-found sacred mother-daughter affectionate ritual.
Long showers, Aha. Bathing in Lockdown usually cames after a lot of procrastination, dodging and avoiding the whole act at first but later on running for the simple act of ablution as comfort act. Funny right! But the best mental unwinding to unloading happens during showers. Even the idea of writing this blog came during a shower.
I am moving on to another critical thing, reading. Having not watched a single web series or movie, I pride myself on reading as much as I got my hands on. Pending research, business to even reading otherwise difficult Salman Rushdie. There are days I take books with me as late as 3 PM, and with a new resolve, I try to aim never before goals of waking up early at 6 AM and using the quiet in otherwise noisy domestic Lockdown.
Moving on to not so encouraging act of futile attempt at exercising, which for sure has resulted in further weight gain — By the way who cares about it till we have to get in office wear and that time nightmare will come alive. In the name of exercising, dancing it out to random English numbers with kids helps taking mind and body to another place. And it is oddly satisfying to put Apple Watch to use to measure steps that lead nowhere.
The best is saved for the last; I am late in the family to acquire the habit of drinking turmeric milk latte every night. Let me enlighten your spirit with this knowledge. It helps. This little drink is heavenly on mind, body, and bowel movements. And you don’t need to pay Starbucks price to have it, with everything getting crazy expensive milk and turmeric is essential and available.
Between an obsessive entrepreneur and an overly concerned mother, I find myself continuously seeking a purpose for myself as a woman. And if this article doesn’t sound like my earlier one, it says a lot that Lockdown has affected me but for good to bring a different flavor to my writing.
There are days we are hopeful, and somedays it is hopelessly depressing and angry. Staying at home and trying to imagine and control what happens in this unpredicted world around isn’t easy. Go easy on yourself. Find your new rituals, habits, and try falling for it.
We have to make it easy for ourselves by being a little crazy, eccentric, and obsessed with better reasons and hope.
I hope your Lockdown is treating you well.