Rituals of a balanced life
- Chandrashekhar Sangoi
8 minute read
As the lockdown was imposed in India due to the Covid-19 pandemic, many people shared glimpses of their everyday actions through social media. Since lockdown in itself was a never-before the incident, millions of people were forced to stay in their homes for weeks. This stay facilitated for them to be in each other’s company. People used this homestay in their own ways creatively. Although, the staff of essential services had to perform their duties and couldn’t have this privilege of the homestay.
It's a human tendency that we cannot bear the monotony for a long time. Working continuously or being lethargic, both situations are not favorable for human development. In both cases, the beauty, enthusiasm, and excitement of living disappear. You start feeling insignificant, the mind becomes dissociated with everything, and nothing seems appealing. In the absence of enthusiasm and interest in work, your development stops, and life starts appearing as heavy toiling. Mental stress increases, a deep disturbance, and sometimes sadness, surrounds you. In the long run, it causes depression.
So, what’s the way out? To maintain the beauty and novelty of life, a balance is required. A balance between work and rest. But how to achieve this balance? I have compiled here 8 small habits, which I believe will help you in making this balance with little effort. Let’s begin then:
1) Learning:
Would you like to use a 4G internet network on an old keypad mobile phone? Certainly not. Likewise, if you do not keep your knowledge updated over time, your utility will also diminish eventually. This may have a direct impact on your livelihood. To maintain your usefulness in the 21st century, you must keep learning. Get into the habit of learning something new every day.
- Internet: There are many sources of learning, and the internet is one of the most important among them. Learning by using the Internet in the field of your choice. Use video platforms like YouTube.
- Books: Another excellent source of learning is- books. Thousands of books are available on the internet on various websites, which you can get for free or at a meager cost. You can also join a library if one is available in your vicinity. Many times the price of their membership is much less than that of a Pizza!
- Online Courses: Many government and private institutions provide various types of certified online courses.
- Observation: Observation is the most important and mostly ignored source of learning. It is through observing that you can learn from your surroundings at no cost.
2) Limited use of social media:
The Internet has made our lives a lot easier in multiple ways, and one of them is connecting with others through social media platforms. Social media has become an inherent part of our lives. However, one should be cautious while using it. Excessive use of social media leads to anxiety and Fear of Missing Out (FOMO), which severely disrupts mental peace. Various studies done by researchers and psychologists conclude that excessive use of social media can even lead to severe depression. So, limit your social media usage. Initially, it may be a little uncomfortable to reduce drastically, but a minor everyday reduction will be easy to adapt to.
3) Schedule ‘me time’:
Just as the body needs periodic rest to relieve fatigue, similarly conscious effort is required to keep mind energized. ‘Me time’ is the time in which you are alone, with yourself. Depending on your preferences, you can decide how you want to spend your ‘me time’. Sitting for some time in solitude, beholding nature, watching sunrise/sunset, seeing the flying birds with a focussed gaze, till they disappear in the vast sky, introspecting. Observing activities of people without any assumptions and judgments, listening to music, dancing in a closed room shamelessly, or whatever way you want to. Trust me, this ‘me time’ when spent daily will infuse your mind with new energy and bring never-before peace in your life.
4) Maintain the quality of your health:
Prevention is better than Cure. If your health is good, then you will be able to do all your work punctually and with better quality. On the one hand, good health will save you the cost of hospitals and medicines, and on the other, it will prevent mental stress arising out of diseases. I recommend you do some form of yoga/pranayama (breathing exercises)/gymming/running etc. daily to keep yourself healthy. Get a sufficient amount of sleep. Eat foods that are rich in protein, vitamins, minerals, and other micro nutrients. As far as possible, do not depend too much on outside food. Inclusion of salads, coarse grains, and fruits in diet is also recommended. Use seasonal fruits as much as possible. All the Indian spices such as cloves, cardamom, celery, asafoetida, bay leaves, sesame, black pepper, cinnamon, cumin, fennel, curry leaves, etc. have proven medicinal properties- include them in your diet to increase immunity. You must have gotten aware of the medicinal properties of these herbs due to increased talk about immunity. Continue to use them even further as needed and keep yourself healthy.
5) Spending quality time with your family and friends:
Spend some time daily with the family from the busy activities of your life. Staying with them not only physically but mentally as well. When you are with your family, try to be with them only i.e., do not divert your attention to using mobile or other tasks. Play like a child with your children, listen to their daily activities, Show your interest in them. Parents who spend more time with their children have a better ability to understand each other's feelings. This understanding comes in handy when children grow up. This door to "understanding each other's feelings", never lets children and parents feel alienated from each other, no matter how physically far they are.
6) Being cognizant of your family’s economic situation:
There is a saying that 'stretch your legs as much as the length of your cover sheet.' Your expenses must be in line with earnings. Dreaming big is justified, but sometimes it can take a longer time to fulfill them. Do not make knee jerk decisions about big spending like buying a house, bigger car, or any other amenities just because your neighbor, relative or friend did. You need to understand that your neighbor’s, friend’s or relative’s financial situation may be totally different from yours. Make your short- and long-term financial goals, in line with your income expectations. Keep your credit (loan) at a reasonable level. Otherwise, you can become a defaulter if there is a slight financial irregularity and you miss any installments. As per financial advisors, your monthly EMI should not exceed 40 percent of your monthly earnings. It is fine to keep trying continuously to earn more money, but doing so endlessly can spoil your mental peace. Your healthy financials will save you from mental stress and will take you towards progress. So, when the need arises, you will be able to gather the required resources effortlessly.
7) Helping others:
There must have been many moments in your life when you needed a small help. At times you may have received support, and at others, you could not. In both situations, you must have realized the utility and importance of small aids. If someone needs your help, make sure you try to help them to the best of your ability. Help can be in many forms and not just monetary. Sometimes, a smile becomes a great help for a person feeling lonely. You can start with small bits of help like donating blood, correctly guiding someone, giving something, which is unusable for you to needy. Just keep in mind that while helping, do not expect anything in return, not even a thank you. Basically, be a thankless helper. In this way, even a small help without any expectation can take you into a state of nobility. I know it may sound counter-intuitive to many, but trust me, helping selflessly is one of the most effective psychological methods in regaining your happiness.
8) Contribute to nature:
Mother nature provides resources for our survival without any discrimination. And yet what we return in exchange is the only destruction. For some time, get involved with nature, try to understand it. Try to give something fresh in return for the damage we have done to the environment. Plant new trees, keep food and water for birds, and, if possible, make water available for animals in your vicinity as well. Use energy-efficient appliances. If possible, cover short distances by foot instead of using a vehicle, this will reduce pollution and will also provide health benefits to you. When you become the source of creation instead of destruction, new energy will flow in you. This energy of creation will fill your life with thrill, excitement, and enthusiasm.
Our mind is a staunch opponent of adopting new habits, no matter how beneficial new habits are expected to be. You may have to face internal friction in adopting new practices. It may take you longer to change. But I can say it with certainty that if you work on inculcating these habits in your routine, you will find yourself on a higher energy plain. Your mind's capacity and understanding will expand. You will live life with more awareness and zest. This awareness will be reflected in all the dimensions of life. So, what are you waiting for? Start walking NOW on the path of finding a reasonable balance in your life…
(Which one of these habits do you find the most comfortable / toughest, and why? Please share your thoughts in the comment box or simplewords48@gmail.com.)
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