Life

The Bright Side of Lock-down

I’m not denying the facts and ill effects caused by the most recent pandemonium which has hit the whole planet in the form of Covid-19. 

People living in hostels and Paying guest accommodations are inconsiderately asked to vacate and are mercilessly stranded on the streets without a shelter on their heads.
With the borders of every state sealed, public transport suspended, flights cancelled, they have nowhere to run in the midst of this pandemic.

Economy has terribly gone down like never before, hitting the rock bottom.
Door to door and street vendors, including daily laborers have lost their jobs and have no income to feed their families.

Although it wreaked havoc throughout the countries of the world, it has some interestingly positive effects on the environment and life around us.

1) DECREASED AIR POLLUTION

There’s a drastic change in the air pollution as the levels of Carbon dioxide and Nitrogen dioxide decreased rapidly over the last few days, corresponding to the shut down of industries and no movement of vehicles with the forceful lock-down. The emission of Greenhouse Gases has radically come down.

In a way, Nature has found its own way to self heal. 
To be brutally honest, Nature has reclaimed what we have snatched away from it all these years by Deforestation and Urbanization.

Maybe this is a good time for us to reflect on the damage we’ve directly or indirectly created.
Let’s not take Nature for granted anymore!

2) DECREASED WATER POLLUTION

With most of the industrial activities shuttered, there’s a substantial decrease in the chemical outlets. Garbage outlets to the sea have minimized significantly. 

Lack of human intervention made the canals more clear, thereby allowing aquatic animals to enjoy their natural habitat to the fullest.

Over the years, we’ve forgotten that we as living beings were always meant to co-exist.
Maybe it’s high time for us to realize the true meaning of coexistence.

3) INCREASED FAMILY TIME

In a world of busy schedules, we’ve lost track of our family time – spouses living like strangers under the same roof, kids worked up to a mechanical routine.

Haven’t we gotten used to saying “NO TIME” for most of the small-yet-essential things in life? 
Don’t you think this is an opportunity to make the best use of couple time?
If you run out of ideas, here are few ideas of couple goals –

  • Read a book on “Marriage” together (Five Love Languages, The Marriage You’ve Always Wanted, Men are Clams and Women are Crowbars are some of the most inspiring, encouraging and interesting books)
  • Watch a movie together (War Room, Encounter, FireProof, Overcomer, Inside Out are some of my favorites)
  • Build up conversations intentionally (start with topics from the books you read or movies you watched)
  • Have a date night at home
  • Cook together
  • Take up a DIY project together
  • Avoid distractions at all meal times (strictly no smartphones)

To all the couples who are contemplating separation, maybe this is a time to reconsider your decision, take some time to ponder over alternatives and work towards a much better solution.

4) CHILDHOOD REDEFINED

Children are constantly under a yoke, pressurized with back-to-back activities with no time to sit and relax. The young imaginative minds are burdened with loads of stress both at school and home. 

Ain’t we killing their creativity by giving them absolutely zero time to work wonders with their own imagination?

Here are few ideas to reignite their power –

  • Painting
    Let them paint their hearts and minds out. I’m sure beautiful illustrations would come out of their master copies.
  • Touch, feel and work
    Give them age appropriate building blocks. You never know what they come up with – castles, industries, superheroes…
  • Reading
    Whether it’s a storybook or an encyclopedia, let them improve their cognitive skills.
  • Helping
    Assigning them a few household chores isn’t a punishment. They’ll learn responsibility.
  • Play time
    Cards or board games bring the family together and strengthens the bond. Avoid all distractions while playing with them. Let them feel loved and valued – worth spending your time.
  • Limit screen time, if it cannot be avoided completely.

5) REDUCED BUDGETING STRESS

With the hustling lifestyle of employees, most of us depend on restaurants – predominantly used to eating on the go, with limited time to cook meals at home.
Shopping is a dominant stress buster for most of the ladies. 

Whether it is fun rides in the mall or going out partying, stepping out of the house means shelling out money from your wallet.

Shuttered malls and public places, forced quarantine left us being isolated at home. Isn’t this a great way to save on your regular budget? 

No shopping, no partying! Buying mere essentials has become the new comfort of life. If you’ve tried and failed at saving or faced continuous criticism from your spouse for poor budgeting skills, here’s your chance to succeed. 😉

Do you agree with me? I’d love to know your views too. If you have anything to add, please leave your inputs in the comments below.

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