Home is where we have been since the COVID pandemic took over this world and it is where we should be to keep our healthcare and frontline staff safe as well ! And I agree it is not easy, having both younger and older generation in my home- kids being cut off from school, unable to socialize or just going out for a walk or even a doctor’s visit for non-covid related ailments – it can be depressing and Work from Home’s no longer seem to be the savior as it used to feel initially. So what can you really do to keep your mood up and those of others around you – here are some things I have been doing and hopefully some of you can relate and take a cue to do things that work for you –
Feeding birds and street dogs
We may have been doing this before the lockdown as well but take it a step further, see if you can feed more dogs and birds in the neighborhood or just from the balcony of your house if possible. Not just food but water as well especially in this summer. The more the better !
Call yours friends
No Facebook/Whatsapp or Instagram chats – just call your friends ! Talk to them! The phone numbers are right there in your phone, just dial-up ! I did and it felt great to finally hear a voice that we have not spoken to in years ! And this connection definitely ups the mood and revives all great memories .
Rekindle an old hobby
Rekindle what you used to love. I found my Stamp Collection book which I used to run pillar to post to find a new stamp when I was young and with life’s priorities, it went somewhere in the bottom of a clothes dump. It felt great to look at all the Stamp’s I had collected and probably going forward will continue looking out for new one’s as well.
Learn a new skill
One only needs YouTube or Google to learn a new skill ! I picked photography and went through a lot of sites and videos and came across things that I did not know were so basic. Hell I did not even know what the different options in my DSLR or smartphone camera were until I spent time and looked them up and my photo’s have definitely improved if not great ! One shot below!
Get Cooking
Yep only if you are interested and have the necessary permissions to enter kitchen if you’ve never been before ! Jokes apart – I like to eat food, explore new restaurants and try out different things but I never looked at cooking and trying different ingredients at home which I started doing and the results have been great – from cous cous, quinoa to zucchini and turnips. Things that were never at home have started making an entry in the kitchen !
Get your curious hat on
Take a screwdriver and open things up only if it doesn’t hurt or cause an electric shock ! I used to open everything up when I was young, from toys to radio’s, clocks and what not. Now I am dismantling chairs and finding what else to do !
Gardening
You don’t need a garden ! I am sure all of us have pots at home. Get into them, plant different seeds, see if you can get some fruits or veggies growing right at your home. Go for colorful flowers which will bring positivity and a soothing fragrance. Also improve the soil condition, I got some cocopeat and rose mix in with lily flower seeds and planted green chilly and bitter gourd seeds and watched them grow, fail and grow again !
Get in Shape
This is the best you can do. No need to step out. Commit yourself to improving your health and set some goals. I went from 91 to 71 kgs in 4 months and all I did was walk and control my diet. A step and calorie tracker app and discipline in diet control is all it took me. I did not step out of the house to walk, just went circles inside my home and in the balcony – starting off with 10k steps and going till 17k. It works wonders to your physical and mental health and also builds confidence!
Family Time
Get off online games – try playing real Ludo board, UNO and carrom board rather than online versions. Indoor cricket and badminton has also made an entry in my house – play at your own risk though – chances of breaking things are high !
Learn a new language
This is next on my list. Always fun to learn a new language – just verbal if not written. Expands your communication boundaries.
Wardrobe
Take a look at your wardrobe and clean things up ! I found clothes not ironed for months since the 2020 lockdown because we never stepped out ! There may be clothes that you could donate or even old clothes which have started to fit like for me after the weight loss !
Binge Watching
I don’t think I have to list this out – its the default time pass at home ! From Netflix, Amazon Prime to what not – the list of OTT media keeps growing. Play a movie with theatre effect of turning lights off and connecting audio to speakers and enjoy the experience!
And that wraps up my list, If there is anything interesting that you have been doing at home, share it in the comments section – I would love to give it a shot !
Food N Travel Diaries 
The cats are regular visitors to my house. I feed them with milk, bread and whatever they like. If they don’t like it they don’t eat, so we get to know what they like. I am bored of Facebook and WhatsApp now. I feel calling somebody and talking to them. I call any of my friends every week and call my siblings every day. I have started blogging more nowadays. I don’t feel like wasting time. What’s surprising is, whatever you have listed in your post, I have been doing it. I really enjoyed reading your post.
LikeLike