From scrubbing sinks full of utensils to cutting our own hair at home, the coronavirus lockdown really got us doing things that we weren’t really prepared for. I for one have a freezer full of preserved veggies, something that I never fathomed was possible in this lifetime.
But then again, instead of rueing all the crazy amount of work during the lockdown including the herculean task of changing our very lifestyles to adapt to the social distancing life, we can definitely take it as a phase of learning. Just think about it: would you have ever learned how to make a pizza right from scratch or that at-home yoga routine, had it not been for the lockdown? Unlikely, right?
Also, all the amazing, self-sustaining practices that we adopted in this period have certainly helped us evolve. TBH, we’d be out of our minds to drop them just like that now that the lockdown is beginning to open up and our life is resuming its former pace. After all, these are practices that helped us survive one of the toughest phases of our lifetime. Imagine the wonders they’d do if we hold on to them in our regular lives. We make a point here, right? That said, don’t fret about the feasibility of continuing with these habits post lockdown for we have charted a way for you to pursue just that. Scroll through:
All That Cooking
We know that all the lockdown cooking hasn’t really been your favourite activity all this while especially with the piles of utensils haunting your very souls. That said, when you think about it in retrospect, you’ll realise that it has actually made you more efficient and self-reliant. You basically don’t have to rely on a maid or food delivery service to whip up a quick hot meal for you anymore. And I don’t know if you noticed it yet, but I can say this with utmost certainty that all that ghar ka khana must have certainly helped you with your fitness goals as well as your energy levels.
Well, we are of the belief that cooking is one of the most essential life skills and there exist few things that can surpass the pleasure of a hearty, home-cooked meal. Here’s how you can continue with the practice once the normal life resumes:
Meal Prep
Prepare for days worth of meals in advance. For instance, you can keep containers full of tomato puree, ginger-garlic paste, and even gravies in your freezer that’ll be available for your easy disposal whenever you want to whip up a hot meal. Additionally, you can also cook in bulk on a particular day and then store it all in the freezer to keep you covered for days to come.
Hang On To Those Leftovers
Instead of throwing away extra veggies or eatables from a meal just refrigerate them and use them for something else in the next meal. A mixed vegetable can, for instance, make for an amazing sandwich filling. Similarly, leftover paranthas from your dinner can be converted into yummy rolls for the next day’s breakfast.
Grow Your Own Veggies
Take this from us: there ain’t no motivation bigger than growing your own veggies to have a home-cooked meal. There is this wholesome feeling about the entire exercise that’s truly unparalleled.
Self-Care For The Win
As the pandemic anxiety took over our very existence and posed a serious threat to our mental health, so many of us turned to self-care to deal with it. And we don’t think there’s a need to tell you why exactly is it an important practice that needs to be sustained. Here are some ways to keep in touch with the practice.
Yoga And Other At-Home Workout Routines
While your gym might help you hit your fitness goals, there is something more wholesome and organic about yoga that transforms you inside out. Might we suggest you wake up a little early and keep on clinging to that yoga routine that you aced during the lockdown?
Meditation
I don’t know about you but I certainly downloaded a couple of meditation apps on my phone just to keep my mind off the coronavirus anxiety and honestly, it helped me a great deal! This is why I strongly suggest that you try on some meditation as your way of indulging in some self-care even after the lockdown.
All The Nourishing Skincare Rituals
Did lockdown give you slightly more time to think about your skin and work on it? Keep doing it for you have no idea how it’ll help you boost your confidence in a regular, non-coronavirus world. Also, do ensure to find a night for yourself in the week which is all about indulgent self-care, fragrant candles, and self-loving affirmations!
Vocal For Local
As we all readily embraced the mantra of “vocal for local” to revive a plummeting economy during the lockdown, it in itself is a very sustainable and fulfilling practice and perhaps it’s time we embrace it as a way of life, lockdown or not.
Here are the best ways of going vocal for local:
Buy Directly From The Weavers And Artisans
While there exist a lot of brands that support local artisans, it will make a hell of a difference to these local weavers and artisans if you start buying directly from them. Not only will it profit you both by eliminating the middle man’s commission but will also boost these artisans’ confidence and help them claim their art like it needs to be done.
Eat Seasonal Produce
There are multiple ways to go local and eating seasonal produce is perhaps the easiest of them. Stop purchasing imported fruits and edibles which are as heavy on your body as they are on the pocket.
Discover India
With more than half a year of no traveling, most of us must have seriously forgotten what it actually means to go on a vacay and while you must be eager to go explore those hidden islands in Fench Polynesia, how about you give India a try?
Reading
Relied heavily on good literature to keep your mind off the coronavirus anxiety? Well, there’s simply no reason why you shouldn’t keep doing it even after this pandemic becomes a thing of the past. Here are easy ways of accommodating the practice in your post coronavirus life:
Bed Time Reading
Each night instead of aimlessly scrolling through your social media accounts before going to bed, how about you switch to some bedtime reading instead. Not only will this practice help you get sound sleep at night but will also help you better retain all that you read before going to sleep. Win-win!
Audiobooks
Not categorically reading, audiobooks do suffice the purpose of keeping us caught on our literary needs while saving up the efforts of reading after a tiring day. With audiobooks, you can also easily reduce your screen time and listen to them while having a meal or even working out.
Keep Creating
Hitherto relegated secondary by so many, it was, in fact, art that provided a ready respite to us from the current chaos. We have of course recognised the potency of art and the catharsis that lies in creating and hope that for that exact same reason, we never stop creating. Here’s how to keep in touch with your creative side:
Set Out A Particular Time
Be it journaling or painting, wherever your passions lie, it is important that you set a fixed timing to indulge in these activities that let us connect with our inner self through the act of creation.
Follow Pages And Artists That Inspire And Remind You To Create
It is integral that you follow and keep taking inspiration from the kind of people who have inspired you to create something in the first place. Not only will it keep you motivated but will also teach you new things about your art.
Lastly, it is important that we never lose sight of how these self-sustaining activities helped us when no one else could. Let’s vow to return to our post pandemic lives, better and happier.
Featured Image: Instagram
