Surviving the pandemic and thriving beyond….

The COVID induced pandemic has put every human and nation back by years. Most people have suffered financial losses while many have suffered from health issues or lost their dear ones. Everyone has been forced to confine inside the house with only laptop as company for most part of the day. The TV channels are only blaring negative NEWS throughout the day has certainly. All this has had an adverse effect on the mental wellness of every individual.

The solutions are not easy to come by and the society will take long time to get back to normal. There cannot be a one template fits all solution. Each one has to find a way of not just living through the pandemic but thriving happily beyond. I am just sharing what I have been doing past one year to stay relevant and live happily beyond.

Own the mind….

It is but natural that social media became my best friend due to long lockdown periods. Social media has its plusses and minuses, it is up to you how you use it. The TV news channel and social media platforms have spread more negativity than anything else in last one year. I have limited my viewership of TV NEWS to once a day, that too only one channel I consider comparatively sober. I have removed all WhatsApp groups from the phone less the ones I needed for professional work. In my view WhatsApp has been the biggest damager of mental health during the pandemic. There is more fake NEWS on it than real.

Mind only responds to what you feed it. One got to be selective in what one feeds the mind. Every night before going to bed I listen to motivational speakers or read some good blogs. My TV viewing has been restricted to some comedy shows only. Believe you me I have had peaceful sleep night after night.

Feed the mind only what you want not everything and anything which is available off the shelf.

Taking care of health….

If one maintained a healthy lifestyle than the need for patronising companies who started adding the word immunity booster to every product of theirs would not have arisen. No company left a stone unturned in their effort to fool the innocent. Immunity cannot be injected overnight; it takes time and effort to build.

Kind courtesy my mom and my wife, healthy food has been part of our diet since ages. The diet mainly consists of veggies, low carbs with free sprinkling of nuts and lots of liquid. The traditional Indian immunity boosters like Tulsi (basil), Giloyi (Tinospora), Dalchini (Cinnamon) and the famous Kadha (liquid concoction made of Indian spices having medicinal properties) has been part of our household since long.

The restricted spaces did not affect my walk routine. I found my way up and down the stairs and around the house. The circuit got shorter but not the time and distance covered.

All this combined helped in keeping physically fit and mentally agile. Yes, Madam Corona did pay a visit. The good hosts that we are, she did stay a while, enjoyed our hospitality, enjoyed our healthy diet, and left (maybe in search of a ‘weaker’ host).

Upskilling….

Job market has been adversely affected by the pandemic. Jobs/ pay scales are being cut ruthlessly. The theory of ‘Survival of the fittest’ is more relevant now than ever. People have to find their own way of remaining relevant to the job. One of the best ways to stay relevant is adding new skills to the portfolio.

There is so much available online to feed the mind. I have learnt a new language, done a short course on Life coaching, NLP and now enrolled for an online management programme. To be frank, the profession I am in, I would have survived without any upgrade of knowledge. But additional knowledge helps in better performance which gives more satisfaction and peace of mind. One got to be unique to survive and thrive in this competitive world. My sincere advice to everyone who can, please learn new skills or at least make efforts to sharpen the old ones.

Improve the Happiness Index….

Pandemic has given time to the families to bond better. Enjoy the family time; Eat, play, and pray together and develop stronger bonds. Connect with friends and relations online. I always found it better to pick up the phone and talk than to just chat. I have reconnected with people I had long forgotten specially my classmates and the batchmates. Re-bonding and re-connecting add more to the Happiness Index than anything else. Anyways, having a strong network of well-meaning people is always helpful.

Blogging is another way I found which gives opportunities to connect with people the world over and share views. I restarted my blog in Apr last year and have found new friends, people with whom I share common interests. It is a great way to de-stress, make friends and learn.

Faith….

Thanks to the corona, God who had been forced to take refuge in the mountains and some temples came back to the homes. It is always good to have a chat with your God anywhere, anytime you want. No dress code, no language barrier makes the conversation more interesting and easier to understand. Faith is not just limited to religion it is about self-belief trust in others too. The absence of office support system as also of the helping hands at home, made one realise his or her own true potential. Some even discovered the hidden talents they had.

I enjoyed the personal conversation I had with my God. The tete e tete we had over a cup of tea or slouching on the couch was always so meaningful and enriching. I also realised I could make soaps, bake cakes, and even partially cook.

I hope the God exercises the freedom of working from anywhere and not restrict His presence to some hills and religious buildings.

Me time….

It is important to find the ‘Me’ time between the ever so busy office schedule and the family time. One must have time to pursue own hobbies/ interests or just be with him/ herself. It helps in finding answers to many life questions and in putting the mind at peace. Whatever time one can spend in his/ her own company helps in clearing the mental clutter. One can generate fresh imagination only if the old clutter is cleared.

I have enjoyed my ‘Me” time all my life more so now in the pandemic time. Loads of fresh ideas have come to the mind. One major decision I could take was just to follow my passion and be the owner of my time.

Conclusion….

It is the ability to own your mind and the will to learn, develop new skill and reconnect with the environment which will help people to grow in the present time. Add to all this good health and you will never face a problem. One will have the ability to find answer to any question life throws.

Stay Safe…Stay healthy…Learn…Connect…Grow…

My Quotes …. Own your life ..

My Quotes…. My life, my way….

Lessons I learnt during my life journey….

Life is beyond earning a salary and paying rentals…..