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Time to be that Tree

My fellow rational animals!

We may be in the middle of a Pandemic. We may even be in the middle of the biggest global crisis. But you see, all you really have to do is; be that Tree. 
Be the Tree, you see outside your window. Rain or shine, just like that tree, the only thing you have to do is, Grow. This is the most natural way to respond, so be that Tree. Keep taking in the fuel even though no-one waters you, shed the leaves you don't want anymore, strengthen the branches that make you what you are. I am convinced that this is the only way.

Freedom of movement is taken away, for our safety. We are huddled up in our homes.
Some of us might have material losses that are not in our control. But for most others, its a new and uncomfortable time of crisis that we can control through our rational brain.

What has really changed for us?

We have lost full control of our plans
Our routine is disturbed
We are wary about what future holds
We might have more free time, that we are used to dealing with
Some of us might be in physical isolation

Psychologists suggest that the most common effects of prolonged quarantine or social distancing can be Anxiety and Stress arising out of Boredom, Constraint and Instability. I suppose we can agree to it now that we have experienced it in varying degrees.
What we can do about it, is only what's in our control. The silver lining is that this situation sets a unique stage to grow mentally stronger. We have the time on hand to not follow the "path of least resistance". The rat race is on a grinding halt for now.

While you brace yourselves to start running again when the world starts, make sure you re-set, re-plan and re-design to function more optimally. With less fuel and more mileage.

Indulging in basic activities, at home can help us multi-fold. These activities make us psychologically stronger, little by little over time. The evident benefits can be reaped, long after Covid-19 is gone. They will build us up and stay with us forever.

Rethink, De-clutter
It is proven fact that clutter in our space, screams and competes for our attention. So if you don't need  something, make sure you don't see it around, seeking your attention.

When we are running our usual errands, travelling to work, getting back and unwinding, there is not much time to think about all the things we have collected over time. Lofts are filled and there are many things that we don't use. Some are obstruction and some are useful but forgotten. Re-look at your needs and de-clutter. If you don't need bread in the morning, think about donating that toaster to someone who can put it to better use.

Rethink your food
Cooking is therapeutic and it is being practiced as therapy worldwide. Why might that be? It is said that the process of cooking quiets our mind, soothes our soul by slowing us down and drifting us to a different world for those few minutes and at the end of our cooking process we have calmer nerves and a meal that gives us a sense of pride. It does sound like a win-win proposition. Apart from this, when we cook our meal ourselves, we also have the consciousness of what we are putting in our body. There is no denying that continuous healthy eating reduces our stress levels, making us physically and mentally healthier. We might want to use this time to make those drastic decisions to rethink our eating habits and experimenting with new healthier choices while we have the time to do it.
Families with children could introduce cooking as a family activity for the kids to feel the sense of accomplishment and gratification. It will also help them acknowledge the need of team work. This learning for kids is a key life skill and will go a long way.

Rethink, Re-organize :
Its proven that a jam packed closet increases stress levels. Psychologists also suggest that organizing our closet is an activity that helps organize our mind. during the re-organizing and sifting through our clothes, we are actually sifting through the associated memories and deciding whether they are still useful to us or not.
Also, We have to sift through the traffic and reach the clothes we want, every day. Our feeling in the morning is what sets the tone for the day. So, why not make sure our closet is the reason we smile everyday.
Every one of us has a closet full of clothes but a handful of clothes that we prefer. Why not re-organize and use more of what we have but haven't been using. This should give us something to look forward to at the end of this crisis.

Rethink your space:
Indian Vastu Shastra, Chinese Feng Shui are real. Our home can invoke positive or negative emotions and if rightly done, can reduce stress. Science backs it and Interior designing and aesthetics are based on psychology.
Reorganizing your furniture, adding more color, letting more light in is something we cannot think of doing, on a normal day. But it is definitely something we can do while the Covid-19 lock down is on.
Some simple things might be; making sure we have a space to sit in the morning for a dose of Vitamin D, making sure we move some stuff around to make sure more light  and air comes in and we remove obstructions. Colors are important representation of feelings and the colors we like can make us happy. While we cant paint our house now, we can make sure we bring out our favorite colored objects in spaces where we look more often. I love to see plants, so they are right in front of me now.

Re-design your life:
This might be the right time to re-calibrate our life style, life choices and priorities. If we don't have the luxury to make major amends to our ongoing compromises, we should make sure we make the most of this time, being with our loved ones.
A good practice to re-calibrate might be to make a list of all the things you "want to stop doing" in a day and think them through again.
I have taken a few notes along the way and you must make your own assessments.

Planning 18 hours of work in 16 hour day is going to be tough to keep up with everyday 
Seek help and don't be a superhero 
Don't take your hobby for granted. They balance you so add them in your schedule

Simple things have more power than we imagine. Stay resilient like that tree in a storm. They say, storm makes trees get deeper roots.

Love!

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