It was last Sunday. I had just woken up when I got a call from my friend, Steve. “Hey, Steve! How’s everything going?” I asked. “Bob! Nothing feels right! Staying at home for months makes me feel stagnant and so alone. I have hit the rock bottom in this pandemic now,” he replied.

Steve wasn’t the only one going through this. Many of us are feeling this way. I too was in his shoes a few weeks back. While it’s not easy to cope up with the new norms of life during this the pandemic, we can try doing little things to feel better. 

“Calm down. I’ll help you by sharing a few tips that have helped me so far,” I replied.

 I shared these 5 tips with him:

• Start the day with something that you love doing: Try starting the day with something you enjoy that can be an exercise, watering the flowers, reading your favorite author, or simply by making yourself a rich creamy coffee. This will instantly uplift the mood and you will start the day on a very positive note.  
• Structure to span out well: Staying at home often leads to overlapping of work and we end up with time crunch. Time management is very important. Plan out the day in a way so that any work doesn’t occupy a longer time than usual.
•  Try learning something new: Try to learn something new. It can be a new type of sketching, a new dance form, or trying your hands on a new recipe for that matter. This will keep you excited and once the task is done you will feel great. A sense of accomplishment will be added to your feel-good factor!
• Keep In Touch With Your Family And Loved Ones: Stay connected to your loved ones. Social distancing and staying at home has kept us away from the regular meet-ups. Call up the people who add joy and positivity in your life. Add this personal touch during the day. The interaction will prevent you from feeling lonely or overthinking.
• Have something to look forward to: Keep an activity that you are passionate about in the evening. It will act as an incentive and will keep you pumped up for the rest of the day. That can be playing your favorite instrument, playing with your pooch, or letting yourself have that extra bite of the dessert!
• Relax: The thought of when things will go back to normal can lead to stress and anxiety. Keeping away from unnecessary worries is crucial. Go with the flow and try to calm yourself down with some light comedy movies, meditation, or some good soothing music.

“These tips sound very helpful. It can make my days go better, I feel,” replied Steve. “They will show some good impact. Try it out and see!” I expressed and then we hung up.

We need to have faith and stop fretting over the pandemic scenario. Try out these tips and let me know how you are spending your days!