Like most people around the globe, the pandemic and the attendant lockdown dealt me some ruthless blows. That I was caught napping is a huge understatement, I was literally reeling under its hypnotising influence for days. Obviously, nothing in my over forty years of existence could have prepared me for something of that magnitude. It was a real shocker.
I still remember vividly how I fared during the first two days into the four-month long lockdown; I went through a debilitating and overwhelming phase, and nearly slipped into oblivion. But holding on to the then slippery strands of hope, I pulled through and bounced back to tell the story.
Looking back now, I feel grateful to “the forgetfulness” that gave me the first real attempt at unplugging. Though it happened by accident, it was the much refreshing dose that I needed at that time.
So what exactly happened?
The day the lockdown was announced, I had so much work on my table, so I started planning on taking some work home then and getting a way to gain access to other work on my table at a later time. I must confess that at that moment, I thought the lockdown would last, maximum, a week. Absorbed in planning, by the time I left office for my home, I did without my smartphone.
It was late before I realised this mistake, so I could not go back that night. This was so irritating to me but I console myself that I could endure the one week lockdown or, if I couldn’t wait for one week, I could sneak back to office and retrieve it the following day. But neither was to be. It was impossible to beat all the security personnel, and the lockdown did not end within a week.
Now the willy-nilly unplugging stint.
The first couple of hours without my smartphone were hellish. I kept on forgetting I did not have the phone and kept on planning to check my messages on the phone soon. Only to suddenly realise that was impossible. It was so damn hope-dashing.
But on the third day, something changed positively in me. I felt some kind of relief I had not felt in the last twenty years. My heart was not racing, neither was my mind wandering. Even in the evening, my almost everyday migraine did show up. I guess it might be that I had been staring at the screen for too long and I did not know. Now, I was calm.
This was the time I turned to writing. Unplugging did the job for me.
Basically, I just write for fun. I’ve always been an avid reader all my life, but did little to no writing until recently. You know when a glutton discovers he can barely breathe because of his distended stomach? That was how I used to feel!
And just like he would feel when he manages to vomit, I feel relieved when I started writing, pouring out all those suffocating feelings on paper.
Of course, writing means I read too. And reading means new ideas.
Since I needed things to enliven my everyday life, I became deeply interested in reading about other people’s life; especially the very successful people. But that did not last.
Through my writing activities, I stumbled on military safe supplement which is formulated to facilitate muscle development and vitality. And I had a peek into the world of supplement, particularly this herb-based one. With natural ingredients and proven results, I believe it’s going to be a fantastic plus to gym time efforts.
Then I flirted, though rather fleetingly, with the idea of enrolling at a gym but the lockdown would not allow that. So within my home for many days, I would do series of exercises in the morning.
I think, most probably, because I’m not a look-freak, six packs was not my goal. Though that doesn’t make me blind to good physiques. In other words I don’t have anything against young fellows trying to get the six packs or those striving to keep fit at all times. On the contrary, I think having firm and well-toned muscle is fantastic.
I found changing my body clock to suit my nature very helpful. The lockdown set the pace and I seized the opportunity. In fact, I’m still working on this till now.
I also picked up some other minor habits that helped me survive the lockdown. But my “big one” is unwillingly unplugging. I’ve resolved to make sure I do it willingly from time to time.