Three weeks ago, I finally went out of the house after almost eight weeks of voluntary confinement due to the Corona Virus. That was eight weeks of not going out of the flat at all. Whilst many people expressed how much they missed the outside world, I was genuinely happy being inside the house. Probably because I am part introvert. If I didn't have to go to work, I would have preferred to stay at home for the rest of this pandemic.
Whilst in lockdown, I have more opportunities to reflect on life. Yes, living in the time of Corona Virus is strange and there are a lot of things that are sacrificed. I hear some people complaining about how inconvenient it is for them not to be able to do the things that they would normally do otherwise. As for myself, the only thing that I am really disappointed about is the fact that I am unsure as to when I am able to go home and visit my parents again. I was meant to go home at the end of April (as a surprise), however the Philippines banned all travels at the very early stage of the pandemic. Things happen for a reason for sure, and I am praying that my parents will remain healthy until I see them again.
Of course, a lot of lessons are also learned during this pandemic. Staying at home 24/7 has not been so easy for some, but it comes so natural for myself and J. Nothing much has changed except for the fact that we can't go out. Well, we can really for essentials but we choose not to. Staying at home really doesn't mean that we stop doing the things that we love doing. It has been so easy for us to find ways to entertain ourselves and yes, to continue living the life we have always lived- although modified. I have been happy staying at home and this is because I:
1. Don't Stop Moving
- It has been so tempting to just sit around and do nothing whilst on lockdown, but I know that this would not benefit me in any way at all. Luckily, I have been following a few workouts on youtube for quite a while now so I motivated myself to continue doing those exercises on a daily basis. In addition to that, we have a few gym equipment in the flat which has been really helpful. We live in a flat with no garden or balcony, so we make use of whatever space we have to ensure that we don't stop moving. As I am not keen on running outside at the moment, I use the stairs to do my cardio exercises and also Fitness Blender's "Fat Burning Cardio Workout". Other workout videos I follow are: Vicky Justiz (for abs), Chichi Health Fitness (abs and lower body workout), Bright Side (abs) and Love Sweat Fitness (for arms). Exercise, no matter how light (it can mean just walking inside the house), has helped me maintain my physical and mental health during the lockdown.
2. Don't Stop Learning
- Just like the rest of the world, I learned how to bake a banana cake during the lockdown. I have always wanted to learn how to bake, but because I am quite impatient when it comes to following precise baking instructions, I never really took it seriously. Until of course the lockdown. I have baked a couple of successful banana breads since and I am keen to continue baking more, so watch this space.
I also found a free online course via Coursera, The Science of Well-being which was developed by Yale University. This course talks about how we can increase our happiness and how we can create more productive habits. I really enjoyed the course, so if you are interested, just check it out.
The highlight of my "Learning in the Time of Corona" was teaching my weakest subjects to a couple of smart kids. I volunteered to help a couple of my friends with home-schooling, but did not expect that the little humans would ask me to teach them the subjects that were not really my cup of tea when I was in school- geography and history. It appeared that I had so much more to learn about these subjects. I am grateful for Ethan (10 year-old) and Poppy (5 year-old) for giving me the opportunity to teach and learn at the same time.
3. Don't Stop Caring
- Posting anything on social media during this pandemic has been quite tricky for me. I am conscious of what many people are going through right now and therefore, I have been very careful on what I share on facebook and instagram. I refrained from posting any food or material things until I have done my part in helping those who were and still are in need of help. It goes without saying that "charity begins at home". It was my brother's idea to give a little help to our distant relatives first and foremost. My family distributed relief goods to at least 25 families. It may not be a lot, but I'm sure every little helps. Also, I donated two weeks of my lunch allowance to "Meals for the NHS" and my weekly coffee allowance to "Fashion for Frontliners". Every now and again, I leave a little something for our cleaner just to say thank you for what they do. Most importantly, now more than ever before, I make sure that I stay in touch with my family and friends.
4. Don't Stop Living
- Being in lockdown doesn't mean I also have to stop living. Whilst I am unable to have brunch or afternoon tea with my friends, I ensure that every now and again, I indulge myself with things that I would otherwise do outside our home. Besides, I have always associated living my life with being at home, so the lockdown doesn't really make a lot of difference to me, even if it means I can't go out to eat at restaurants or cafes. This is because life to me, is more than those things. It is spending time with my loved ones most of all- be it physically or virtually. This is one thing that I have been consistently doing during this lockdown.
Honestly though, living a life for me means being grateful for everything that I have, caring for the people I love, helping those who are in need (in any way I can), being sensitive to what other people are going through and being kind to everyone that I come across with.
5. Don't Stop Believing
- Just like any other challenge, this too shall pass. I believe that one day soon, we will be able to see and hug our family and friends once again. But until then, we must stay positive. Above all, we must stay safe.
Whilst in lockdown, I have more opportunities to reflect on life. Yes, living in the time of Corona Virus is strange and there are a lot of things that are sacrificed. I hear some people complaining about how inconvenient it is for them not to be able to do the things that they would normally do otherwise. As for myself, the only thing that I am really disappointed about is the fact that I am unsure as to when I am able to go home and visit my parents again. I was meant to go home at the end of April (as a surprise), however the Philippines banned all travels at the very early stage of the pandemic. Things happen for a reason for sure, and I am praying that my parents will remain healthy until I see them again.
Of course, a lot of lessons are also learned during this pandemic. Staying at home 24/7 has not been so easy for some, but it comes so natural for myself and J. Nothing much has changed except for the fact that we can't go out. Well, we can really for essentials but we choose not to. Staying at home really doesn't mean that we stop doing the things that we love doing. It has been so easy for us to find ways to entertain ourselves and yes, to continue living the life we have always lived- although modified. I have been happy staying at home and this is because I:
1. Don't Stop Moving
- It has been so tempting to just sit around and do nothing whilst on lockdown, but I know that this would not benefit me in any way at all. Luckily, I have been following a few workouts on youtube for quite a while now so I motivated myself to continue doing those exercises on a daily basis. In addition to that, we have a few gym equipment in the flat which has been really helpful. We live in a flat with no garden or balcony, so we make use of whatever space we have to ensure that we don't stop moving. As I am not keen on running outside at the moment, I use the stairs to do my cardio exercises and also Fitness Blender's "Fat Burning Cardio Workout". Other workout videos I follow are: Vicky Justiz (for abs), Chichi Health Fitness (abs and lower body workout), Bright Side (abs) and Love Sweat Fitness (for arms). Exercise, no matter how light (it can mean just walking inside the house), has helped me maintain my physical and mental health during the lockdown.
2. Don't Stop Learning
- Just like the rest of the world, I learned how to bake a banana cake during the lockdown. I have always wanted to learn how to bake, but because I am quite impatient when it comes to following precise baking instructions, I never really took it seriously. Until of course the lockdown. I have baked a couple of successful banana breads since and I am keen to continue baking more, so watch this space.
I also found a free online course via Coursera, The Science of Well-being which was developed by Yale University. This course talks about how we can increase our happiness and how we can create more productive habits. I really enjoyed the course, so if you are interested, just check it out.
The highlight of my "Learning in the Time of Corona" was teaching my weakest subjects to a couple of smart kids. I volunteered to help a couple of my friends with home-schooling, but did not expect that the little humans would ask me to teach them the subjects that were not really my cup of tea when I was in school- geography and history. It appeared that I had so much more to learn about these subjects. I am grateful for Ethan (10 year-old) and Poppy (5 year-old) for giving me the opportunity to teach and learn at the same time.
Currently, I am busy learning about my job and the people I work with so perhaps when I am more settled, I will find more courses online.
3. Don't Stop Caring
- Posting anything on social media during this pandemic has been quite tricky for me. I am conscious of what many people are going through right now and therefore, I have been very careful on what I share on facebook and instagram. I refrained from posting any food or material things until I have done my part in helping those who were and still are in need of help. It goes without saying that "charity begins at home". It was my brother's idea to give a little help to our distant relatives first and foremost. My family distributed relief goods to at least 25 families. It may not be a lot, but I'm sure every little helps. Also, I donated two weeks of my lunch allowance to "Meals for the NHS" and my weekly coffee allowance to "Fashion for Frontliners". Every now and again, I leave a little something for our cleaner just to say thank you for what they do. Most importantly, now more than ever before, I make sure that I stay in touch with my family and friends.
4. Don't Stop Living
- Being in lockdown doesn't mean I also have to stop living. Whilst I am unable to have brunch or afternoon tea with my friends, I ensure that every now and again, I indulge myself with things that I would otherwise do outside our home. Besides, I have always associated living my life with being at home, so the lockdown doesn't really make a lot of difference to me, even if it means I can't go out to eat at restaurants or cafes. This is because life to me, is more than those things. It is spending time with my loved ones most of all- be it physically or virtually. This is one thing that I have been consistently doing during this lockdown.
Honestly though, living a life for me means being grateful for everything that I have, caring for the people I love, helping those who are in need (in any way I can), being sensitive to what other people are going through and being kind to everyone that I come across with.
5. Don't Stop Believing
- Just like any other challenge, this too shall pass. I believe that one day soon, we will be able to see and hug our family and friends once again. But until then, we must stay positive. Above all, we must stay safe.
My love and prayers to one and all. Please take care.
TIN x
