Quality Quarantine, None Of Boring Quarantine

Hey there, I am writing this blog while sitting on a couch. You might already know why 😄

In just a few weeks, the COVID-19 pandemic has turned everyone’s lives upside down. Employees are working from home while students are having their classes online. With a lot of time on hand and maintenance of social distancing, we have become time rich but socially poor.

Being able to spend time with friends, going out to our favourite pubs during the weekend seems a luxury now. The thought about the importance of going out and all the independence we took for granted, is now over our minds. And we are only a few weeks in with many more to go.

For someone like me, who feeds off living socially, I am finding it disheartening to be locked up in my own house. The first week I was all ready to do something productive instead of lingering about not going out. By week two, that enthusiasm died. But, I made a resolve to myself 

“Rashika, this is going to be fine, you have plenty of time, use this. You might never get it again. Finish things that are pending for so long”

After which I took charge of brushing up my skills, learning to do things I always wanted to and utilise the time available, be it personally or professionally. Through this blog, I aim to share my learnings with you all on how you can better manage your time during the quarantine.

Note: Not expert advice, feel free to modify a bit according to your preferences 😁

Being Friends With The Clock.

The biggest pain right now for anyone out there is balancing both their personal and professional life. How often do you get time out of your day to indulge in your hobbies? Rarely I believe. We only have a specified number of hours available. As an incident share, I usually wake up at 9:20 am for a meeting scheduled at 9:30 am. So, I made friends with my clock. Just like a clock has 24 hours, I gave my complete day 24 blocks - 8 blocks for sleeping = 16 blocks for life. Through this method, instead of counting hours, I now count blocks and allocate blocks accordingly to my tasks, whether personal or professional. And then do those tasks in that specific block period. Allowing me to complete my work in much less time than before.

“You can’t sail at two boats at the same time. But we can give equally to both of our “serious” and “goofy” life.

Learning New Skills

‍First of all, I am finding no difference between a weekday or a weekend. So, when its Saturday, I am like “WhAAAAAT”. And then starts the 2 day ritual of doing nothing and regretting it. So, I took up some skills, I am learning to sketch on Udemy. But, at the same time, I am not pressurising myself to learn as fast as I can. I am going at my own pace and sketching whenever I feel like. I have got myself a diploma in sleeping though. 

Spending quality time on your hobby not only refreshes your mind but also opens up many doors for you. Start making your portfolio if you are into Graphic Designing or Photography. Create a buzz in your social circle by going Instagram Live, talking online workshops, and publishing your work.

“A lot of people in my social circle now see the other side of me they’d never seen before.”

I’m Now a People’s Person (Family Wali)

‍The more I am an extrovert among my friends, the more reserved I am at my home. My mom always used to complain about me, not spending enough time with her. In our day to day lives, we tend to become a bit ‘robotic’ and forget to absorb and save the special moments we can have with our family on a daily basis. It is very essential to learn each other’s ups and downs and show empathy to people. There are times we often make mistakes in understanding what the other person is like. Learn to strike a balance in relationships.

“I’m following everything that my mom had always asked me to do and guess what? I’m shaadi ready after this quarantine💁🏻♀️”

21 Din Main Paise Double

I feel like a very sane person nowadays, cause I am able to double up my money in 21 days. No shopping, no transportation expenses, no eating out and guess what, I have double the amount of money at this point of the month than I ever had before. I have understood what is important and what’s not. And the fact that quarantine is going on for more than 21 days, I am hopeful to carry on this habit way into the future for sometime. Being permanent is not possible, I know.

“Let me brag about my accomplishments now. I now hold a diploma in dishwashing, sweeping, making pancakes, washing clothes, saving money, and balancing both my work and house! “(Mic- drop!)

No one would like to see a dumb panda prowling out of quarantine. Take the current situation as a challenge. All of the above points would be a waste if you do not have a strong will power to do so and you’d just end up wasting the days. Winning in such a situation gives a different level of happiness.

The scenario may also push you to think of many negative things and lose your cool. But it is highly important for one to have a strong will power and attitude to fight through it.