A short story on how quarantine actually helped me.

93 days and counting…

As of writing this article, it’s been 2 months since the first day of quarantine. In the last few months, almost all of us have experienced some form of social-distancing or quarantine. Who knew that the last time I played football with my friends, would be the last outdoor activity for a long time. Who knew the last time I went to college traveling on the local train whilst listening to my favorite songs would be an experience I would miss. Who knew the last delicious enchilada I ate at my favorite restaurant, would be something I crave every weekend. Perhaps if I knew these experiences were going to be a luxury, I would have cherished them more.

Photo by Noah Silliman on Unsplash

How it all started?

The first few days of quarantine, felt like forever. It was just me and my mind trying to process the situation. I could not digest the fact that the world had come to a standstill. I spent hours thinking about how I enjoyed my time outside playing football and how I enjoyed driving to my gym while listening to my favorite songs, singing like I’m about to win a grammy. It took me a while to accept the fact that my life was going to be like this, and even though I was initially anxious and upset, a part of me was looking forward to enjoying time with my family and this newfound “me-time.”

As days passed, I got a better grip on my life. I realized that contemplating about how the coronavirus has affected our daily schedule will do nothing but disturb my peace of mind. I figured that while most of us wouldn’t prefer this work-from-home lifestyle, we could use this time to set up a new habit, or perhaps learn that new skill which we never had the time for. It was at that moment I decided to use this “me-time” productively and try and build myself some skills that would help me in the future.

Daily Routine and Timetable

Photo by Marten Bjork on Unsplash

One of the biggest strategies that helped me stay productive and organized during quarantine was making a proper timetable of my daily schedule. I used Google Calendars to plan my entire day and used the principle of Microproductivity to help me accomplish complex tasks. When walking on a tight rope, it’s way easier to concentrate on putting one foot ahead of the other, than looking around at how high we are or how far the final endpoint is. In the same way, breaking down large tasks into smaller tasks, and concentrating on completing these smaller tasks instead, makes the tasks feel more manageable and less intimidating. After weeks of trying out this technique, I can successfully say that Microproductivity is very helpful in reducing procrastination and helps in making difficult tasks look more doable. In this way, making an organized daily schedule not only helped me complete more work, but also helped me find more free time in the day for my other hobbies.

Studying and Daily Learning

I started off my lockdown period by practicing data structures and algorithms. Any Computer Science student knows how important this is to crack the coding interview and get that dream job of yours. I decided to practice daily and also registered for the 30-day Leetcoding Challenge. After successfully completing the April Leetcoding Challenge, I have now started the May Leetcoding Challenge and hope to keep practicing Competitive Programming in the future. I also completed a course on Web Development, that introduced me to technologies such as MongoDB, Express, React, and Node.js, which further helped me in my college projects.

Daily Exercise Routine

Just because you don’t have access to heavyweights, doesn’t mean you can’t stay fit at home.

After solving problems and doing courses during the day, an intense workout in the evening was the perfect antidote for my body. One of the major challenges, we have had to deal with in the past few weeks, is that we do not have access to gyms. This leads to a disrupted exercise schedule for most people. But just because you don’t have access to heavyweights, doesn’t mean you can’t stay fit at home. A small bodyweight workout, or even skipping rope for 20 mins daily helps in loosening up your body and keeping you fit. People have been taking innovative exercise challenges on social media, and this has really helped everyone stay motivated. I personally have been doing the 150 push-ups per day challenge with a few of my friends, which not only keeps us active but also keeps us connected daily. In addition to this, the daily household chores such as washing vessels and cleaning the house was an additional moderate-intensity calorie burner that helped me burn more energy than being sedentary. In this way, a daily workout routine coupled with household chores helped me stay fit and strong which further boosted focus throughout the day.

Cooking and Baking

This quarantine period has also brought out the little Master Chef in me. I used my quarantine time to practice my cooking and baking skills and learn some new savory recipes. My mother taught me some of her basic 10-minute recipes and also gave me good tips and tricks while cooking. I also explored the baking side and made delicious Walnut Cake, Oreo Cake Crumble, and Pancakes with Hershey’s chocolate syrup. This experience has taught me that with a little effort, we all can learn some appetizing dishes and this period is the perfect time to experiment and bring out your inner Gordon Ramsay.

Friends — Your indirect happiness

In addition to studying, working out, and cooking, connecting with friends is important as they boost your happiness and reduce your stress. Thanks to the internet, all of us can stay in touch with our friends and the outside world. This quarantine period is the perfect time for us to rekindle that old friendship that has been lost over the past few years. It’s an opportunity for us to talk to our school friends and share some fond memories of happier times. I usually speak to my friends two-three times a week to add fullness to my life. Talking to friends helps me enjoy my time at home, and helps me de-stress after a tiring day.

Family Time

Another advantage of being quarantined at home is that you get to spend ample time with your family. You can talk to your parents whenever you want, crack jokes with them whenever you want, and can even enjoy dinner at the table together. Earlier, both my parents used to spend their days in the office and would be home only in the evenings. With work-from-home now, all of us can spend more time with each other and can also do some cooking together. My family and I have started having weekly card nights where we play a game or two of Monodeal and also weekly movie nights where we enjoy the latest Netflix movies. In addition to this, we often video call my brother who is currently pursuing his Masters and also my grandparents. This newfound Family Time has taught me to appreciate the little things in life, and find joy in the smallest of things, be it watching comedy movies together or even just sitting quietly in the room and reading the newspaper together.

Reading — exercise for you mind

The book — Ikigai, The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life by Hector Garcia and Francesc Miralles

“Reading to the mind, is what exercise is to the body.”

— Joseph Addison

I usually end my day with reading a book or a few important articles, that I had saved on my reading list. I hear a lot of people say that they wish they had time to read. Staying at home the entire day is a great excuse to finally make time for reading that book you always wanted to. Moreover, it’s an excellent opportunity to create a reading habit that you can continue even after quarantine ends. After completing 3 books in the past few weeks, I can say that reading does help keep the mind active. There is a myriad of benefits of reading daily — increased knowledge, memory improvement, vocabulary expansion, improved focus and concentration, stress reduction, to name a few. It is a healthy habit that according to me, every individual should include in his daily routine. Moreover, research has shown that reading improves brain connectivity and aids in sleep readiness. It’s never too late to take advantage of the various benefits of daily reading.

In this way, there are a lot of positive changes that this quarantine has brought upon us, and if we actually concentrate on the positives instead of the negatives, we will be grateful for all the little things in our life. All of us can make use of this adversity around us in a positive way to actually improve ourselves. We can use this distress as a catalyst for our daily journey to finding our purpose and making the best of our time. If you truly find that particular driving force in your life that gives you that reason to wake up every day, you too can be productive and make use of this “me-time” to its fullest.