Finding Control in a Time Where Time Doesn’t Seem to Mean Much

You would have seen the memes circulating around the Internet by now.

“Everyday is the same” it proclaims. At the very core of the self-deprecating, deadpan humour that we love, lies an all too real fact – everyday is indeed the same.

With the rapidly evolving coronavirus situation, many countries around the world have placed their citizens under some sort of movement control. Call it a lockdown, call it a quarantine, call it a circuit breaker even – essentially, many people around the globe are now stuck in their homes.

With the world slowing to almost a standstill, the days spent at home are slowly, but surely, beginning to blend into each other. Yesterday was today, and today is tomorrow. Routines have all but disappeared – breakfast turns into lunch; lunch turns into dinner.

In a time where time no longer seems to flow the way it used to, how then can you try to regain some semblance of control?

The lack of routines during quarantine could be the reason behind the slump some of us may be facing. One way to try to counter this would be to set a daily timetable to follow.

Your timetable need not be anything fancy. It could be as simple as promising yourself to eat breakfast at 10am, or turning in for the night at 11pm. Frivolous as it sounds, having a basic routine may help one to cope with change. Routines may also aid with anxiety – by empowering one to feel some certainty in a time wrought with uncertainty.

Try to add some physical activity time in your daily routine as well. Not only will the exercise help keep you in shape amidst the lockdown snacking, exercise is also well-known to improve mental wellness. Like your general timetable, your exercise routine doesn’t have to be fancy to be effective. A short 20 minute HIIT workout, some light stretching exercises, or even dancing – find something that’s comfortable and motivating for you.

Image from https://www.inc.com/suzanne-lucas/why-your-boss-makes-you-punch-a-time-clock.html