Life | Joy

How To Seek Leisure, During The Pandemic

In times of COVID-19, it has become harder to connect with other people. Following the SOPs and the hysteria that follows has made it hard to seek friends especially for those who found it difficult to make friends in the first place.

Social distancing has become the norm, where you have to stand 6 feet apart for each other’s safety and that has also removed the fundamental opportunity of small-time conversations — the little moments that can define the basis of friendship between two people, strangers et. al.

For me, I have been at my home for the past 6 months. Though I was able to meet a few people in between but haven’t strolled out of my home only for morning walks when the parks are deserted or the evenings when the sun is sinking.

It has become harder for people to connect. I have experienced many people becoming distant during this crisis. Some have left the chat for good. “Why is this perhaps happening now, when we need to be closer to one another more than ever?” is something I often ponder.

Though I have been in contact with my friends all over the world. I often contact them every day, even though It’s just me sharing cute cat videos. That makes their day or night whenever they watch it.

Seeking friendship has become hard even before the pandemic as people have been absorbed in their routines so much that their life has lost its value. The value that brought happiness, joy, and connectivity has made them rusty and autonomous towards the joys of life.

When disconnected from the routine, the course of this depravity has caught up to them and depression is perhaps affecting them all. Some of them are reflecting on past choices, while many others are just afflicting themselves with depression as an effect of their hindsight.

For me, I have always strived for the solitude of mind, It is a perspective that keeps me intact even in hardships. The pandemic brought freedom towards me, as I can tend to the matters of my health in a much clearer fashion. The routines were causing a lot of both mental and physical health decline for my sake.

I was failing at life, but now I can take care of myself in a much clearer fashion one problem at a time, given I have a lot of free time. But because of the pandemic, I have perhaps lost one aspect of my life that kept me going the most.

That is the bond of friendship, As the value keeps me going.

Many of my friends have “left the chat.” While some cannot seem to connect because of their mental barriers, but many don’t care about the friendship at all. For me, I follow the live and let live principle. If they want to go, they can go. If they want to stay, they can stay. Peace unto them wherever they might stumble upon.

Seeking friends seems much harder, I thrive in conversations as they fuel me with a value that I can use to not only help myself but other people as well. People’s experiences are a gold mine when it comes to the data each one holds. I intend to mine that data so that I can improve myself and help other people do the same as well. Call it “people mining” as you may.

Before the pandemic, I was able to seek leisure by connecting with people very easily. I found joy in connections, as there was a lot of value that was waiting for me. But now people have been affected mentally so much that there is a lesser need, as they panic even saying a little hello or shaking someone’s hand.

Human beings thrive on the connection when it’s done by touch. They find it enticing and lovely but perhaps the main effect of the pandemic on the minds of people has been the loss of touch. Whether it be physical, emotional, sexual, and vice-versa.

Even though we have free time, but can’t find anything to dissipate all that stress that is being built inside of us. What can we do, that can help us relieve that stress? turning this time into a leisurely activity that we can thrive in.

I have spent the past months by using these activities that have supplemented my need of seeking leisure moreover, by connecting with others whether digitally or putting myself in nature’s way to experience zest.

Grab a bike, or rent one — whether in the mornings or evening take it out for a spin wearing your mask of course.

The thrill of the cold evening breeze hitting your skin as the sun is setting or rising for that matter — is perhaps the most beautiful thing to behold. The exercise keeps you fit, and you can enjoy a picturesque start or end to your day.

I have been either running during these hours, every day or I take my bicycle out for a spin. A few of my friends have also joined me in on this adventure, and we race together who finish last every day on our very own course. It’s a street where there aren’t any cars.

It not only helps us reminisce and relinquish joy but also pushes to improve our physical and mental health. When you’re biking across the track, if you pay attention to your surroundings for a moment you can witness a lot many things on how you view others and the environment where you live.

It is a change of perspective that I strive for, allowing me to spend quality time exploring places that I never went to normally. Giving me the chance to make memories along the way while cruising on my bike or running across the empty highways.

Set Im-possible goals to ensure productivity.

I set Im-possible goals every day to keep myself on my toes. I set impossible goals because they provide me with a thriving challenge — motivating me exponentially. They fill up with a perspective to look towards the bright side and thus removing my hindsight bias, increasing my chances of experiencing an awesome day.

Impossible goals can be like, writing 200 Haiku, or running 20 miles in one hour. The average result that you will achieve will be between 30% to 65% depending on that you take 5-minute breaks in between of course.

Setting these types of goals to ensure productivity and also giving you an insight into improving yourself is the best way to start your day. Though at times, you will feel down in the dumps but sticking to this timeline will ensure that you will eventually write something that will come from the inner etchings of your soul — something you can be proud of.

There are perhaps many things you can do, like “reading a book in an hour.” It does get your blood pumping with excitement. Imagine the book you always wanted to read, Read that by setting this goal.

The best results are the ones that come when you’re fully motivated to make 1/4 of what you set. They are what anyone can accomplish, they keep you happy and joyous for the days to come.

The last time I did this goal was I believe 5 days ago where I wrote 40 Haiku in one day. At one moment, I was so enthralled that I took a break to rest, and because of the enjoyment, I was so happy that I fell asleep while resting on my pillow.

I woke up the evening afterward. I couldn’t believe that I fell asleep, I came to check how many I had written — I had written 40 Haiku, 10 different stories, and 2 Fiction stories.

I was so excited, I went running towards my mother and told her my accomplishment. I told everyone in the house, what I did, and how much it meant as I wanted to share this passion with myself. I came back and I wrote some more.

Afterward, I went outside for a 2-mile walk. But I was able to 4 miles instead because I had forgotten that I became more agile by breaking my usual limits during these activities. I was able to improve myself even further. This is what it can do, I reckon. Thus, whenever I wake up — I go to the bathroom wash my face with water.

We trick our mind to do the heavy lifting to achieve our possible goal, and that is the 40% average output — A cheat if you may.

Then I smile in the mirror, once or twice, and continue towards my life’s ever-changing possibilities.

Add music into the mix, as music bends the rhythm of your soul making it dance with joy.

Earlier on I got in touch with a friend of mine and we planned to make music this summer. But now we were unable to make it during our break. We planned to make a short documentary about “Neglect” — we had chosen how we will shoot it and wrote the script as well as creating the music that would fit the theme we were hoping to shoot. Here’s a snippet, that we worked on during the early months of 2020.

Though, as you can see it fits the premise of what we were hoping to achieve, the suspense and mystery related to the social issue, that keeps being subsided always into the drawer. Music is something divine when properly channeled. It can help someone shed tears of joy, and also sorrow hidden deep within the crevices of their soul.

Music has helped me a lot during my life’s hardest moments in this pandemic. I usually listen to Hauser, his cello calms me down. It is something that I listen to at night. It makes my solitude even much calmer, helping me thrive in it with zest.

Music during a shower is helpful as well, whether its meditation or solitude. Music adds a fragrance that makes things so much more pleasant. Try it, it will soothe your senses till the next track.

The Takeaway

• Have a positive outlook on life, whenever you wake up and when you go to bed.
• See your days as opportunities to improve and reflect upon.
• Listen to music, and build things you always wanted to build.
• Write, and journal your past self — connect with yourself in the present.
• Exercise or take your bike out for a spin to enjoy your mornings or evenings.
• Eat fresh, and take care of your health.
• Motivate others to do the same as well, by being the example — that you can be proud of.

Thank you for reading. Peace.