The extended lockdown period… is it taking a toll on your mental health?
Are you yearning to step out of lockdown to fulfill your desires?
Is the pain of world outside transiting into your suffering?
Do you struggle to utilize the Me time you never got before?
Do you foresee uncertainties, leading to dilemmas, on the other side of pandemics?
If any of these is happening with you during the Corona outbreak, your mind is turning into a theatre of psychological dramas.
High time mate! You better stop engaging with your thoughts.
Let’s understand what’s cooking
A hell lot is happening around you, infact the whole world is suffering.
Like too much to take!
And amidst all these, the viral pictures of grief, remorse, sorrow, helplessness, are everywhere, in social media and news channels, making worse for the mind to sail smoothly with this life transition.
The normal routine… regular thinking patterns… all disrupted!
Nothing is motivating, nothing seems inspiring about the world right now.
To add final nail to the coffin, this extended lockdown period!
What all of it is resulting to?
Overflowing thoughts… conspiring against each other, causing severe damage to your sanity.
I was hit hard by lows during this quarantine.
And as I always do, I consciously chose to explore the dark.
I walked out in a better headspace!
A few mindshifts pulled me out from the slumps of my mind.
I am happy sharing these as my suggestions; hope you find them useful.
4 Mindshifts for a better headspace
A mere acceptance of your pain
Human race is mourning to bereavement,
Eyes around reflect deep down fears,
Destitution struck so hard the poor are starving to death,
Economies gravely affected; savings vaporizing than never,
Future looks ambiguous… the other side under dilemmas,
Like everything brought to a standstill!
Difficult time this… as there is only pain to attract from the outside world.
You never stood here before, and your mind is clueless about the way out.
The result: A chaotic mind that produces anxiety.
But my dear friend… you need to realize:
Not only you, your family, your city, or your country…
It’s the entire world that’s unsettled right now.
So what you are going through is fine. It’s the current normal!
Yes you need to accept this right now…
Better said… you might wonder:
How should I gracefully accept this change?
Just acknowledge you are not battling alone.
It’s not only about you this time… we are in this together!
This offers you strength to stand in solidarity, as we people are kind of sharing identical pain.
It brings the acceptance you need!
Trust me… Acceptance of pain is that reliever that never allows your pain turn into suffering.
Consciously experience the biggest blessing — You are Alive!
You are blessed to be alive, sitting at home, comfortable with your family, away from the virus, getting enough luxuries for a healthy living.
You got to feel grateful for this!
You are fortunate than millions suffering in this pandemic. Please don’t let that feeling of gratitude die in your sub-consciousness.
If I ask you:
Did you experience the fear of being asymptomatic to Covid-19 at any point?
I think many of us would admit:
Yes… I felt that… just for a little… but I did!
If that’s true, you literally faced your fear of death.
Infact call yourself a survivor!
Now you need to look at it closely. After so many days locked down at home, you overcame that fear… your biggest fear —Death.
Three cheers my friend… you still have time to do whatever you want to do with your life.
Now you tell me:
Isn’t that a priceless blessing that you are alive?
It is… simply cherish that!
Still difficulty smiling?
Try connecting to the expressive nature which never smiled so big.
Yes, the beautiful nature revived during this pandemic.
And that’s the most beautiful thing that happened.
Nature was suffering since years, literally dying everyday because of us.
Today it is back to old school smiles.
Do you realize what’s happening because of this?
Clean resurrected the green!
Yes there is no pollution and the cylinders of the greens are generating fresh oxygen like never.
Now tell me:
Could there be a bigger blessing which is reviving breaths — the basis of life?
I feel this lockdown has offered us enough to appreciate life the way it is.
Let us feel blissful about our blessings.
Experience Little Moments of Joy than to Shy Away from them
The pain of the infected and also the non-infected,
People yearning for food, birds agonizing for water,
Fear inside eyes, sorrow in losses, rage of hunger,
You are sympathizing too much with feelings beyond your control.
And when you cannot convert your sympathy into an act of compassion, you are suffering.
Yes that’s the biggest problem in tasting sympathy with a topping of helplessness.
The dreadful outcome:
Even when you experience any moment of joy during this course, you don’t cherish them.
Why? You are reminded of the hues and cries around.
Beware! You are suppressing happiness, and that’s causing severe damage to your self-love.
You need to stop right now!
Stop cursing yourself for not being a samaritan this time.
Quarantining yourself is the best thing you can do for you, and everyone around.
Stop judging yourself for that.
Don’t forget… feeling compassionate towards oneself is the first step in feeling compassion towards people.
At present… you need to think about yourself!
Please stop dissecting the outside world, which you have been doing since long.
We are neither selfish nor a coward, but the brave who are sitting back home not just for ourselves but for the entire human race.
Please stop questioning your naturally happy state.
Feel those little joyous encounters without any self-judgments.
Divert Your Mind Towards Your Body
How about a mind-shift towards your body?
It’s the time when there are hardly any compulsive demands of the outside world for your body to fulfill.
No more going out for work, No more meeting people!
The body that underwent a lot of wear and tear before this… it’s resting and recovering.
Do you know where’s the problem?
You are unconscious about the process.
This is the time we consciously care about that body where we lie-down.
Take care of your body.
It’s the only place you have to live.
—Jim Rohn
Yes it’s the best time to… observe… understand… respond…detox… embrace your body.
Address the muscle pain you have been ignoring
Renew that immune system which was exhausting
Strengthen those muscles you always dreamt about
Take care of your delicate cardiovascular system
Burn that extra fat you always had on your mind
Work on building a smarter social appearance
Divert your pain towards building body endurance
Let it be anything… a mind-shift towards any aspect of a healthy body with the possible means.
Till the time this lockdown ends, make sure you are in a habit of taking care of your body.
Wish you safety and happiness… Good luck!
