It has been 162 days since this country of 1.3 billion went into lockdown. While the pandemic is still unfolding, there are changes all around us, both good and bad. Despite the clouds of worries, almost everyone has noticed the silver lining — bluer skies and cleaner air.
As the unlocking phase began, pollution started making a comeback. But what changed is that people realised the need to keep both the environment and their bodies free of toxicity.
For some, the lockdown has been a blessing. Take 27-year-old Prem Doshi, a fund manager and founder of a Calcutta-based finance firm. In pre-Covid times, Doshi would wake up at 7am and head to work by 8.30am, skipping breakfast on most days. At times, he would eat lunch only at 4pm after the stock market closed. He tried to work out at gyms but his erratic schedule got in the way. “Working from home has not only increased my productivity but also improved my health. I no longer have irregular eating habits,” he says. Since he doesn’t have to commute, he has extra time. He does freehand exercises in the morning and eats home-cooked food at the right time.
Nina Agrawal, 54, has been taking insulin to regulate her blood sugar levels for the last five years. With doctors saying diabetics were more prone to the coronavirus, she started taking walks on her terrace. In time, the walking transformed to jogging and now running. That has brought down her blood sugar levels drastically.
Just like Doshi and Agrawal, many people are now leading a healthier, more disciplined life. With no malls to visit or countries to tour, movie tickets to buy or junk food to eat, people have utilised this time to put a pause on their fast-forwarded life.
Says Bindiya Sabharwal, a yoga therapist and practitioner based in Delhi, “With the lockdown, everyone started to look for ways to build a healthier immune system. We all now know that a good diet, regular exercise and emotional well-being is key to that. What started as a need has become a way of life now.”
Rishi Somani, 35, had been trying to kick his smoking habit for a decade. When the lockdown was announced, Somani decided not to stock cigarettes. “After the first few days, it was extremely difficult. I tried to divert my mind by picking up my guitar — once my passion — again. I also joined online fitness workouts, yoga sessions and fun dance classes with my daughter. At the end of the first month, I felt satisfied that I had finally quit smoking,” he says.
As certain avenues closed during the lockdown, others opened up. Almost everyone with access to technology adopted it enthusiastically for everything from work to grocery shopping, learning to entertainment. With OTT platforms seeping into our lives, there is a new saying — the family that streams together, stays together.
While some people are reconnecting with lost hobbies, others are picking up new skills. In the last few months, Sabharwal has had more people express interest in her classes as they want to make yoga and meditation a part of daily life. And because of technology, she can now reach out to more students.
Sabharwal’s client, Sohila Parashar, tells The Telegraph, “Yoga has been a blessing for me during the lockdown. My mind is less cluttered. I also feel stronger, leaner and much more flexible.” Another client, Dr Anupa Gulati, was facing immense health anxiety for herself and her family. She says, “Social isolation, monetary instability and uncertain prospects only added to the all-pervasive gloom. Yoga has calmed my mind and given me emotional stability in these challenging times.”
People are paying attention to their mental health too. Rima Mukherji, senior consultant psychiatrist and founder-director of Crystal Minds, Calcutta, says, “Many of my clients told me they have been feeling well during the lockdown phase. One of them, in her late fifties, said that since there is no domestic help, she is occupied all day with household chores. At the end of the day, she has a sense of achievement.” Mukherji talks about clients who have gone back to doing what makes them happy because the lockdown gave them ample time. Introverts are feeling good too because they are not under pressure to go out and socialise.
In the last few months, Mukherji has also had clients with no symptoms. “People who have never visited a psychiatrist before are now coming to me. They say that just like people get regular blood tests done after a certain age to remain healthy, they want regular mental check-ups done,” she says. Since they realise the cause of being stressed out — the lockdown — it becomes easier for them to deal with it.
Concludes Mukherji, “We human beings are an arrogant lot. The lockdown and pandemic has taught us to be humble; we have realised we don’t have everything under control. When you go through uncertainties, how you cope is a reflection of how much resilience you have. This period has made us realise our inner strength. Children should now be taught skills to not just survive university but also the universe.”
