Close to 61% of Indians are facing issues related to physical and mental health and this is the tip of the iceberg.
When the news channels were slamming reports of rising cases of an “unknown” contagious disease, most of the world population maintained a cavalier attitude, oblivious to the seriousness of the situation. With a huge spike in the cases, the governments all over finally decided it was about time to announce a curfew and halt the disease from spreading over, which was the right decision.
It was around this time that i had just started going for my articleship training under a consulting firm and it had just been a month around. Unfortunately, i had several terrible setbacks going on in my personal life; so severe that i could not focus on my work. I had just broken up and my love life was on the hangs at the cliff; my relationship with my parents faced another huge rip due to clashes in ideology and i had failed one group of CA IPCC exams, which are held as an intermediate qualifying filters to become a certified Chartered Accountant. I was clinically depressed. It was hell.
The lockdown was a huge timeout from the ongoing purgatory for me. It gave a space to heave out a sigh of relief and breathing space to take a step back and analyse what the heck was going on in my life. Bonus was a well-deserved home vacation after 3 long years, where i did absolutely nothing but deep introspection. My mental health improved.
It wasn’t until 3 months into the lockdown lifestyle i was having, that i realized my physical and mental health were deteriorating. That came as a surprise, especially when i was extremely grateful for the holidays. On brooding, i came to know the reasons:
- Lack of social life :
Contrary to the popular opinion that introverts are the least affected among others due to lifestyle following lockdown, after an initial period of relaxation, i found myself feeling more isolated and lonely.
Loneliness in itself is a serious pandemic affecting the Gen-Z in our modern world. With me being a hardcore introvert, it became increasingly more difficult to connect with people in these tough times. Without an outlet for my emotions and lack of good companionship, my efforts to divert attention to other areas in life became extremely difficult.
2. Restricted movement in public :
Inability to freely move or commute to places without restriction is a setback that made people largely helpless. Many jumped curfew rules, argued with the police about their rights to move around and even risked facing penalty and jail-time to move around as they pleased. With gyms and public parks closed, my exercise routine was hugely affected and i did not have enough equipment or the discipline to carry out routine home workouts.
3. Restrictive diet :
I’m a huge lover of Avocados. Keeping in mind the amazing benefits of the butter fruit and addicted to its taste , i regularly added it to my diet. But with markets hugely downsizing as per government guidelines, only locally grown food varieties were available. Avocado being one among other exotic and/or limited-ly available food, i was forced to stick to the eating patterns of my family which consisted of rice for all three meals in a day, along with vegetables. Since rice was the most freely available food, it was bought in bulk and evidently my carbohydrate rich diet added a few extra pounds.
4. Disregard for eye-health :
With work-from-home being the modern lifestyle solution to earn a living , having all the time in the world to catch up on the must-watch movies and series that was on pending and online courses/classes the way of (l)earning a degree or a skill in these tough times, we all have been etched to our screens for extremely long hours.
Coupled with our confinement to homes we are having limited ways of relaxing ourselves after a long day of working on computers.
I have a myopic power of -3.25 in each of my eyes and i have been facing frequent headaches and dry eyes after even few hours of screen-time for the past two months.
If you are able to relate to these difficulties, then it is important to realize that you are leading a lifestyle detrimental to your overall health. Fear not; bear in mind that every problem has a solutions and every situation can be handled better if introspected well. A few of the tips i followed after brain-storming are:
a) Go for a walk regularly around your neighborhood ( if there are no curfews in your place) and of course, wearing your masks, gloves and having a sanitizer handy. If outside walks don’t seem probable, keep moving within your home premises such as in balconies or terrace. Take a personal challenge of climbing stairs in your apartment/ building
b) There are tonnes of free resources available for exercises and home-workouts. Make use of free trials and workouts available for non-premium users well. Build DIY workout equipment with things available at home. Take a simple personal challenge of climbing stairs in your apartment/ building or grooving for your favorite song if nothing else works out.
YOUTUBE:
Yoga- https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCezEzIGp34wPBrmvIshdj5A
Cardio/ HIIT- https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCiP6wD_tYlYLYh3agzbByWQ
APPS:
- Jefit
- Daily workouts fitness trainer
- Sworkit
c) Get creative with food! With whatever food stocks available , cook foods in a way that serves your body’s nutritional needs. Take charge of buying groceries for your household and plan your intake accordingly.
d) Take frequent breaks away from digital displays. Follow the 20/20/20 eye rule : Every 20 minutes, take a 20-second break and focus your eyes on something at least 20 feet away.
e) Reach out for help if you are facing mental health issues. There is no shame in seeking assistance if you are feeling helpless or stressed.
Mental health resources:
Free mental health chat:
Don’t let the pandemic intervene your personal health. Every little realization you have towards your well-being is a step towards peace at the end.
BURRITO 