If you, like millions of others worldwide, are under lockdown orders or have gone into Quarantine (or self-isolation) to combat the coronavirus outbreak, here are some ways to lift your spirits and make your days at home fun and more meaningful.
Get Some Good Sleep
Yes, it may sound clichéd, but nothing lifts-up our spirits better than a good night’s sleep. Any adult needs 7 – 8 hours of sleep every night for our body to function properly. Anything less than 7 -8 hours of sleep might leave our body tired, and make us cranky. Besides, good sleep is vital to our emotional well-being. In fact, some studies say that partial sleep loss is detrimental to a positive mood.
Physical Activity
It could be difficult to maintain sanity or remain in a positive state of mind when confined within your home during the lockdown period. However, indoor workouts can be an effective way of improving positivity. Scientists say that physical activity improves both the physical and mental (psychological) well-being of people. Look for online cardio physical fitness apps that may help you. You can also check YouTube for some good online cardio fitness workouts
Watch Your Favourite Shows and Movies
Use this time to use the over-the-top (OTT) media platform like Amazon, Hotstar, Netflix, etc. to binge-watch all your favourite movies and shows. Listen to some old stand-up comedy. It is good to take a break from all news about COVID-19 pandemic. While a few may call this escapism, switching off can be good for our mental (psychological) health.
Read Books
The lockdown is a great time to catch up on reading. There are several book-reading apps out there to elevate your spirits and keep you happy. Book-reading apps like Amazon Kindle, Google Play Books, Juggernaut, Pratilipi, etc. have millions of books to choose from. This is the time to develop or resume the reading habit. Books, actually open up whole new worlds and also change the way you explore the world.
If you want to try non-fiction, books like ‘The Art of Happiness’ by Dalai Lama and ‘The How of Happiness’ by Sonja Lyubomirsky are excellent guides that give us tips on how to understand and implement the art of joy.
Improve Your Cooking Skills
Learn how to cook and bake or improve your cooking skills. You can use YouTube channels. It’s free.
Eat a Healthier Diet
What you eat can create a positive impact and go a long way in making you feel better. Studies point out that diets high in fruit and vegetables, apart from keeping us healthy, will also make us happier in the long run.
Including foods like garlic, ginger, turmeric and Vitamin-c rich foods (amla, yellow peppers, red peppers, including vitamin C supplements) are also a powerful way to boost our immune system.
Edibles like berries have a variety of antioxidants and phenolic compounds that fight oxidative stress in our body.
Express Gratitude
And finally, at the end of the day, Take some deep breaths, think about those things around you that make you feel grateful. Take time out to write down about those things. Find ways to express gratitude to people and things that have positively impacted you. You will experience happiness and contentment.
