Warning bells had started to ring long before the first week of March. On Feb 10th, at the LAX airport, a significant number wore face masks while meandering their way through the busy airport. Were these snobby germaphobes or was it something in the air that I, as usual, was blissfully unaware of? Little did I know, that my world was about to change.
As the cloud of Coronavirus descended upon us and forced us to revisit and rethink our ethos, here are 5 ways in which I improved during the quarantine:
Healthier
In a matter of days, I went from being the person who eats 100% of the time, outside, be it coffee, sandwiches, soups, salads or a greasy mish-mash of potatoes and meat to being the person who only eats home-cooked meals, which includes eggs, turmeric milk, whole wheat cracked, oatmeal, tea, stir-fry vegetables, and pumpernickel bread. Now, every morning I get up, I feel more energized.
Spunkier
I became more social, er, I mean on social media. Suddenly, I went from having just a Facebook presence for keeping in touch with family and friends to serenading my own blog, and an active presence on Instagram and Twitter . Ironically, the more time I spent on social media, in a time of social distancing, the more I discovered some amazing people out there, whose only mission appeared to be to get up every morning and make a difference in other people’s lives, COVID-19 or not. For me, it was during lockdown that I discovered that I was no longer afraid to be seen for who I was. It is true what they say, happiness comes from within.
Cleaner
I developed a system of personal hygiene. My cleanliness levels, traditionally speaking, have always been average. But, with the specter of mortality looming over us, I was forced to develop a ritualistic approach towards staying clean – washing my hands every time I touched a questionable surface, having hand sanitizer in every nook and corner of the house, swiping my phone with antiseptic wipes, washing my towels and bed sheets every week, instead of every month. Macabre as it may sound, this was one of those do or die improvements.
Sincere
I used to pooh-pooh at the whole work from home gig. I realized that sometimes, all I really did was put in an appearance for the sake of appearances. Now, I was forced to think out-of-the-box. 9 to 5, became 7 to 6, with healthy detours in between. In-your-face office politics took a nosedive, for the better, and I was able to focus on the tasks at hand and say goodbye to unnecessary distractions. Not only did I begin to understand the true meaning of work-life balance, but I also began to live it. Earlier, I would come from the office, crash on my sofa, and binge watch TV. Now, I sign out and get to focus on things that bring joy and pleasure like writing, reading, sketching.
Wiser
If today was your last day on this planet, what is the one thing that you would say to someone you care about? My parents and I connect on the phone like bears sharing hugs. I tell friends and strangers alike to keep calm and stay positive. The other day, I spit out two paragraphs on a Whatsapp group of my school friends – they probably thought I was sick or something. I was already that person who knows how to move forward but now I am the person who prays and hopes of a better and brighter future for all humanity, kind of like a Mahayana thing.
Having been through steep troughs in my life, I am a firm believer that every storm that comes our way has a purpose. That purpose is to transform us into a better version of ourselves. I think Coronavirus and all that it entails, which albeit quite harsh, is proving to be “the” sanitizer that will clean our bodies, minds, and souls so that we can be better human beings.
Till we tide this storm over, stay home, stay safe, stay positive.
