Follow Physical distancing but remain connected and be thankful

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We are not supposed to travel or go out due to this unprecedented situation. These days staying home is one of the best options. Staying home 24×7 is not easy. Most of us love to go out for meals or movies or other social gatherings with friends and family. I feel energized when I am traveling or planning my trip. Now I can’t travel for some time (Months) and there is no point in planning a trip. We are under lockdown in India for our safety and watching the news from across the globe is overwhelming as well as depressing. I think in these tough and stressful times we need to do physical distancing instead of social distancing.

East or West,
Home is the best.
Take some rest,
Don’t call any guest.
Enjoy your home fest,
Don’t have an outgoing zest.
This is our life-saving test.
So, be in your nest for now.

Yes, you got me right. We don’t need to do social distancing in this age of technology instead we should not get physically close to each other. We can make use of technology and stay connected socially with each other. Staying connected is very important and we can do this by calling, interacting on WhatsApp or by any other medium. Talking and interacting with people virtually will help us remain sane as well as give us joy.

In the last couple of weeks, I have come across some social media posts and WhatsApp messages which made me realize how human behavior is changing in trying times. All this made me think why not write about something positive in these tough times about the things I am thankful for and about the things others should be thankful for.

We all have something or another thing to worry but at the same time, most of us are in better places than many human beings. Look at those who are in a tough situation and thank God for keeping us safe.

I am writing my human thoughts and emotions only, there is no technical information because that is not my field. All thoughts in this post are based on what I think and do.

Behave rationally with others

Yesterday I got some forward messages on Watsapp where some people were shouting on officials at the airport because they took their passport. I felt the pain of travelers at immigration but at the same time, I felt worse for officials working at the airport.

Please remember those officials are also human who are working on the front line of contact. They are not accustomed to this situation, some learning fast while some taking time to understand the new procedures. They have to face several passengers every day and they don’t know how many of them are infected. There is no option for them to work from home and they are also nervous.

It’s nerve-wracking for passengers standing at the airport but shouting won’t solve anything. The situation is overwhelming for everyone, please consider other’s situation before reacting. Don’t gather and make clusters near the gate because it’s the worst option for you. Be thankful that you finally reach your home country and soon you will be with your loved ones if all ok with you.

Do Physical distancing but remain connected

Now it is the time for physical distancing and to be honest it can be more problematic for extroverts as well as younger generations. These days most of us stay out of the home for 10 to 12 hours for work. Though these days the concept of work from home is popular and people using this facility whenever possible. Still, they don’t stay at home when they are done with the work.

On the weekend people like to sleep till late and then go out to meet friends or watch movies or parties.

The thought of staying home 24×7 for a couple of weeks can be overwhelming for many. Most people are not used to it and this may feel like a jail. And restrictions can frustrate anyone regardless of age. There are chances that Mom or Dad will have a conflict with kids, husband & wife have a difference of opinion and list can go on & on. If I say lightly then it will be like a real-life Big Boss/Big Brother house.

When at home don’t look for faults in others, you may have a difference in opinions about things but we all have the same goal …. staying healthy. The difference can be due to the generation gap or any other reason. It can be…  You like Netflix but your Mom doesn’t find it fit for consumption and the same goes with you for her weekly TV serials.

You don’t need to like the same thing but you should respect other’s views and points of view.

Spend time with family and loved once wisely

Don’t spend your time on TV or Mobile binge-watching. Spend that time with your family members at home. Talk to your parents, maybe you don’t know about your parent’s childhood. You may come across some amusing incidents.

If you are a parent then spend time with your kids, involve yourself in their activities.

Do silly things together, do the housework together, cook together, try a new recipe, play indoor games and laugh together. Take it as an opportunity to be together, you may not get this option in the future. If you are lucky and have grandparents then indulge them.

Don’t take physical distancing as forced. Take it as an occasion to spend time with loved ones and take it as a home holiday trip.

Don’t follow News 24×7

When you feeling bored do things other than constantly watching or reading news about Coronavirus. It doesn’t mean that you cut off from news and the world. Follow the news but fix the time duration for this. Overconsumption of news can impact your mental health, stay stress-free.

Exercise regularly

Do some kind of exercise. There is so much said about yoga for maintaining good health. Yes, yoga is good for health, without doubt, but doing a wrong Aasan is not going to do you any good. It’s not the time to learn in person and I think it’s not a good idea to learn in a hurry.

So what to do? The answer is easy. I hope you remember the PT classes from school days. The mandatory exercise we have to do during the morning assembly. Do those exercises. I am sure we all can easily do those excises.

Meditate regularly

Staying sane is very important with so many things happening around us. Meditate to relax your mind. When your mind is relaxed then you are at peace with yourself and as well as others.

Catch up with friends and other contacts

You are home and spending time with family but that doesn’t mean you forget other people in your life. Call your friends, relatives, colleagues, girlfriend/boyfriend or anyone whom you care about. Make phone calls, send messages, or do video calls. Share jokes, funny videos or anything which can bring a smile on another person’s face. Options are unlimited.

Play games virtually with friends

I have been doing this from the last few days in one WhatsApp group. One person posts a riddle and everyone try to solve it. When everyone is ready with an answer then we discuss.

Travel Virtually

If you are a travel lover like me then travel virtually at home. Explore your next travel destination and plan a trip. You can decide on most of the things and the fine-tune is later when it is a good time to travel. Whenever you travel in the future just keep in mind that you stay at local places and eat at small establishments. Small businesses are going to suffer most so in whichever way we can help them we should do that.

Follow a routine

Maintain a routine when you are home. Fix a routine and follow it, wake up on time, take bath and have meals on time. You can a nap during the day. Since most of us don’t have house help these days so assign a household work to every member of family depending upon their capability.

Get up on a fixed time every morning as you used to when going to the office.

Final thoughts

Everyone is going through tough times regardless of age, nationality, color, and caste. I, myself feeling anxious and nervous. Sometimes I get paranoid and worry about my loved ones but it is of no use. We have to be rational and act rationally. We have to practice physical distancing and contribute our bit.

Do constructive work, read books and follow a hobby which you can’t due to lack of time.

This reminds me of the school’s sports day. There used to be a particular event called ‘slow cycle race’. A race where the last one to reach the finishing line was the winner. Needed a lot of skills, a cool head, and a total balancing act.

I just want to say that small things can keep us peaceful and happy.

Try to help each other so that we can sail through tough times.

More food for thought –

The ultimate irony of life…..
The tiniest invisible life form is now controlling the most arrogant, powerful and evolved life form in the world.
What a beautiful message for humanity to be humble.

We have to take a day as it comes.

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