When Prime Minister Modi called for a ‘Janata Curfew‘, I was mesmerised by the support he received from Indians. After witnessing the support of the people, I thought we can defeat the coronavirus easily. But over the last few days, the response of our people and their careless behaviour towards the pandemic has made me rethink a lot about our situation!
My words are for those people who are coming out of their homes just because they are bored. I came up with a schedule to keep one busy and their mind occupied throughout the day, so that they don’t feel like going out of their house and put themselves and others’ lives at risk.
Get up a bit late, probably around 7 am. I am sure most of us have complained in the past about not getting enough sleep because of our commute to work. Now, we have the time to overcome this issue and to have a good sleep. Freshen up by 7.30 am.
From 7.30 am to 8.30 am, practise yoga. This will not only help in increase our immunity, but also keep us fit and active. A simple Google search can bring you a plethora of results on a few yoga exercises.
At 8:30 am, have a nice cup of coffee or tea and biscuits with your family. Once you’ve had your coffee or tea, open any e-paper and go through each and every article in detail. Newspapers are one of the best media to increase one’s knowledge. So, take your time and read an entire e-paper for an hour or so.
Now, by 10 am, go for a bath, after which is time for your prayer. Most of us would not have had any time for prayer because of our fast-paced life. But now, we have the time to connect our self with God and pray for the welfare of our country and the world. Start by cleaning the entire pooja room. You might be in a dilemma of how to perform pooja; all it takes is a few simple tap on your phone. If you cannot do this, you could start with doing a jaap of “Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama Hare Hare, Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna Hare Hare”. If you are unable to do this as well, then just meditate for an hour.
At around 11 am, have breakfast with your family. By 11.30 am, go to the kitchen and help those preparing lunch. I think this is the best time to learn some cooking.
At around 1 o’clock, have lunch with your family. Most of you would have dreamt of having a complete lunch with your family, but always missed it because of your work-related commitments. Now is the perfect time to have lunch with your family. Have an extra chapati if you want, have a bit of rice if you want. We always ended up missing our complete lunch because of our small lunch boxes. Now is the time to make your tummy happy.
After lunch at around 1:30 pm, go for a small walk inside the house till 2 pm. My grandfather always used to suggest this: “One should always walk at least 100 steps after every meal for proper digestion.” It’s time to implement that habit. Now, if you are a sleepy person, go to your bed and have a nice sleep for two hours. If you’re not, then grab a book that you’ve wanted to read, but never got the time for it.
At around 4 pm, get up and get refreshed. Sip your cup of coffee or tea and spend time with your family. Play with your children, speak with your partner and parents.
At around 6 pm, it’s time for an evening walk. Walk inside your house till 7 pm.
At 7 pm, switch on your TV and look for some entertainment or news.
At 8 pm, go to the kitchen and help your family prepare dinner.
At 9 pm, have dinner with your family.
At 9.30 pm, as I mentioned earlier, walk after every meal. Take a walk till 10 pm.
If you are feeling sleepy ,then go and sleep. If not, grab a book and read. If you feel like not doing either of them, then switch on your TV and watch some informative channels like National Geographic or Discovery, and go to sleep by 12 am.
I saw my grandfather following this schedule after his retirement. He was a freedom fighter, and also a government school teacher. He lived a very simple life for 90 years. I had hardly ever seen him watching TV or gossiping with anyone in his senior citizens group. In fact, he used to go out just for his morning and evening walks. He was alone, but not lonely. He used to enjoy his own company. He followed social distancing without anyone forcing him to do so.
Movies, malls, restaurants, shopping is not life, but enjoying your own company is. Enjoyment or happiness is not something that we need to search outside for. It’s inside, within us. We just need to unearth it. I request everyone to refrain from going out, and maintain social distancing. The world needs our help to eradicate the pandemic!