When countries across the globe started announcing lockdowns one after the other, I was at work dreading what would happen to ME or how I would cope with a lockdown. Fear of being confined for an indefinite period of time… How long would I be able to live in isolation? Won’t I be bored to death? But even to be bored to death one must first be alive; and so now the struggle is to stay alive. 

Every day I am learning more about me, and listed below are 13 things I have “unearthed” about myself in 7 days:

1. I can eat at home: This indeed came as a surprise because I have never ever had all my meals at home on a normal day – lunch at work, dinner usually with friends at restaurants and other tidbits here and there. 
2. I can stay home: For someone with flexible working hours that extended to weekends, I was always out and about. This is the record longest I have not been outdoors at all.
3. I can live without makeup: My makeup bag has not felt my touch ever since the lockdown and surely enough this is the longest I have lived without any makeup. 
4. I can live without sugar: For someone with a sweet tooth, I have set a 30-day challenge for myself to avoid all sugary/sweet food (except fruits). 
5. Social media is really addictive: I have always been more of a people person. Therefore I dreaded social distancing which turned me to turn to social media for socializing. And now I know how addictive social media can be!
6. Family time is not always boring: I can sit with my family members and have long conversations about a prevailing pandemic. My parents are not as ancient as I presumed them to be (in terms of thinking). 
7. I don’t need big things in life to make me happy: I have started counting on small momentary joys like a steaming cup of tea, the clear blue sky, the colorful blossoms, the quiet evenings. 
8. I can write. This is an example!
9. I can’t lose weight: Or have that perfect bikini-ready summer-body. Earlier I blamed “junk food” and tempting restaurants. Now stuck at home, I am still gaining weight. (eyes-rolls)
10. I can enjoy non-English films: I dared to watch some “highly-recommended” films that were not in English. Now, I am marathon-watching films with subtitles. They are all so brilliant I doubt if I could ever go back to enjoying Hollywood films.
11. Money can’t buy everything: My holiday is now on hold, despite  saved enough
12. Working online is great: Pandemic or not, the show must go on, and so must the work.
13. I am enough: I have started enjoying spending time alone and I am getting to know myself better and I am okay even with the bitter that I sometimes am. 

The lock down is far from over though and so much I am yet to learn. For now, I am grateful for every single day I get to wake up and then go to bed. Stay home! Stay strong! 

(How has your lock down experience been like? Have you discovered anything new about yourself? Share your learning with us.)

mindspeaks