Hello, hello ladies! And gentlemen! Well, just came in to say hi, check up on you and tell you that I have a feeling things will be alright, very soon. We are all in this together (My god, when was the last time the whole world united for one common cause?) and we have done this before. We have parted ways with small pox. We have said adieu to measles and I am confident we will bid Corona good bye too. Just a matter of time.

A time which you can treat as a staycation

The situation is grave on ground- all over the world- but for most of us, it’s just staying at home and maintaining social distancing. That is our part as commoners; our little responsibility to make sure that we are safe, our loved ones are safe and people out there are safe and we can literally do all of this by just staying at home. I’d also go as far to say that we are at the privileged end of the spectrum.

Many of them don’t have the luxury to sit at home and be heroes. They are out there- center forward- handling what happens to be war on medical front. They are also- a lot like center forwards- the opponent’s first line of attack. So treat yourself lucky to just sit at home to be able to save the world!

Precisely why I think…

Other than seeing this lockdown as a problem, turn your focus to treating this as an opportunity

And if I am telling you that this is the only way, it is. I have severe anxiety and for the longest time- count over a month- I was sleeping with heart races, cold sweats, restless- all over the uncertainty of it all. I canned my tickets to Kolkata on the 7th of March and since then it’s been even more intense.

One night, while medidating, I broke down. I broke down really bad and wondered if this is the end. When you have your fear modules set high up, things can get really unrealistic. But you wouldn’t know because inside your head its all very real. I cried myself to sleep.

The next day, when I woke up, I did something miserably funny. I went to the balcony, looked at the sky and screamed, ” I surrender”. Hahahahahaha. There were a few masonry men working near my balcony and they were totally wtf’d. Must have thought I was a loony bin or something..which frankly I am to some extent.

Strangely enough, it helped me see things a bit clearly. So funny right? It kind of suddenly instilled in me this whole feeling that we must accept truth as is. And adapt there on. We cannot and absolutely cannot fight a situation that is not in our hands but can do things to make it better.

Here are 10 things that you can do while home quarantined and trust me, it’ll take your mind off things! I generally do these anyway but since karanavirussss (enter Cardi B) came to say hi, I have been doing them more often.

Get that gardening going

Get that gardening going: It is incredibly joyous and satisfying to watch plants grow. And some of them can be grown right from your kitchen pantry.

Tip: Dont have a green thumb? Try growing mustard first. Break the ice between you and the plant world!

Green Tip: Use plastic bottles as planters if you don’t have. Read up on hydroponics if you dont have soil handy.

Give usual places, an unusual twist

Turn your sofa to a chill or work zone as we have!

Start a sourdough starter

21 days is enough to get that perfect sourdough starter going. Your sourdough will most likely be ready in 9. Get full recipe here

Take your best bedsheets out

Because bro, kal ho na ho. Make your bed the most inviting space where you’d love to curl up with a good book or a floof.

Do some DIY Project on afternoon

Turn your old boxes and crates to trays and storage- all you need is afternoons and a bit of creativity. Take a look at our DIY section for many, many home ideas.

Declutter. If you please.

If you never had time to declutter, now is an amazing time. Sort your drawers, clothes, shoes and spices. Organized wardrobe is happy you. Period. Also, did you notice how it always feels amazing after a thorough declutter?

Bring out your best pajamas

Because bro…hahaha…ok ok! Enough already. Truth is, a good pajama is to you at night what a good tea is to you in the mornings. It cocoons you. Makes you feel like life’s alright.

Get yourself some Aroma Therapy

Make a routine to indulge in a few good candles, dhoops and soaps. Lavender and Tea Tree are my personal favourites and they calm you. Plus Tea Tree is also antibacterial- truly helpful in times like this.

Give your walls a new treatment

A fresh coat of paint is instant joy. But even if you cannot get paint you can always get your hands on wallpapers, wall decals or even fairy lights. A little change goes a long way

Be thankful. Please be thankful

Thankfulness is probably the greatest thing you can do, for yourself. It is extremely crucial for your mental health, specially in times like this. When you are thankful, grateful- you remember the good things in life, and it shifts your focus from the negative things. And that alone gives you peace, contentment, confidence and positivity.

Other than thinking, oh, is the world ending…think, oh spring is here! Even if the world is ending! Just like this bougainvillea canopy that literally took all my worries away!

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Stay safe. Stay Indoors. We will get through this.

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