Making Lockdown Meaningful

We have all grown up with our own culturally relevant stories of an impending apocalypse. Ample versions of ‘end of the world’ stories abound across cultures. Additionally, environmentalists have been warning us for decades now of climate change and other environmental factors that could herald doomsday. None of the cultures, none of the stories, however, spoke about a microscopic organism bringing the entire world to a standstill.

Indeed, COVID-19 has managed to achieve the impossible – bring humanity to its knees, regardless of country, colour, or culture. While the world sits at home, in varying degrees of lockdown, out there, Nature is rebooting. We have seen pictures of peacocks walking our urban streets, whales and dolphins re-emerging, rivers being cleansed.

‘Social distancing’ is not just a new term in our vocabulary, it is a whole new set of social behaviours that we are adapting ourselves to. In many ways, our lives have become minimalistic – we are staying at home, not spending on needless things, spending a big chunk of time taking care of ourselves, our homes and our families. Paradoxically, it is also a time where we are milking technology for every drop – we’re doing everything online – be it business meetings, classroom teaching, meeting friends – we’re finding newer ways to connect in this era of social distancing.

There have been many videos, write-ups and articles about how to effectively use this time, which is a gift to us in a way – time snatched out of our busy-ness of Life to spend with our loved ones, to go deeper within ourselves, to do all the things that we have always wanted to do, but never got around to, because there was just never enough time! Well, we have all the time now – unexpected, unplanned, and unsolicited – and many of us don’t know what to do with it.

So ….. it brings me to the question: what is the right way to spend this lockdown time? On one hand, I see around me, focused and motivated people who are doing so much: signing up for courses online, creating new businesses for themselves, learning a language, getting that book written or that project completed. On the other hand, I also see people who are truly relaxing, and reconnecting with lost parts of themselves – picking up on long-dropped hobbies, sketching, painting, gardening, dancing, cooking; reading books; binge watching movies or web series, playing with their kids. And then there is the third set of people, those who are bored to death, who wish they could do something, anything really, but are simply unable to come out of the ennui and the mental fog. And when they look around all those super achievers or relaxed enjoyers, they feel guilty and ashamed.

Back to our question; what way is the best way to spend lockdown? The answer is, of course, that there is no one best or right way. To each his own, and as I said earlier, this time is really a gift to us, and it is up to us how we want to use this gift. If you feel it’s a golden opportunity for you to simply laze around and catch up on sleep, that’s just right for you! Go ahead and do it! If you want to catch up on that list of books to-be-read, by all means, do that. If you want to utilise the time to meditate, by all means, meditate away!

All you need to do, really, is to remain connected with yourself, and remain true to what you wish to do. I reiterate, this time is a gift to us, for us to spend the way we wish to, and no one can judge what is the right way for us. We are all dealing with this pandemic in our own way. Trust your inner wisdom, you are spending this time in a way that is exactly right for you!