Written by Monalisa Borkakoty
The COVID-19, or Coronavirus, has hit the world at such a speed that if we don’t take precautionary measures now, it will become a fast pandemic in the blink of an eye. As it is highly contagious, social distancing has been advised as one of the foremost things to do to combat the ‘flu like symptoms' at a nascent stage.
Being social animals, it could get monotonous in no time. On the bright side, with countrywide lockdowns in full swing and self quarantining the new norm, this extended time spent at home could actually let us relish the simpler joys of life.
We have compiled a list of Do’s and Don'ts that will not only help to get you through this time, but also let you observe life with a bit more gratitude as you do. A guide to getting by during & after a COVID-19 lockdown in Goa.
Photo by @shuttershel
Things you can do from home during the COVID-19 lockdown
TRY: Learning some management skills from your mother
Mothers are superheroes in disguise. Behind that veil of responsibility clubbed with her fierceness, she is actually taking responsibility for not just one but all the tasks that are required to keep the household hail and hearty. She knows our preferences, our allergies and she makes sure we are well attended to, all day, everyday.
Social Distancing seems to be the perfect opportunity to learn simple yet impactful tricks from our mothers who are a bit too efficient in managing an entire household (read company) of unique members (read employees) with so much ease. They not only deal with everyone’s antics, but also know how to keep them in check. If we can observe the level of dedication she has and the nonchalance she does it with, our attitude towards problems and how to tackle them could just change forever.
TRY: Learning a new skill online
We should try and use all the quality time that we are so lucky to have during this lockdown, to try and learn something that we have been forgetting to attend to. Pick up a long lost hobby, revisit your love for colours, read a random book that you must have read decades ago, take an online course for the boost that it might give your career or maybe even earn a new skill to start a new career and finally quit the job that you are not so fond of anyway.
Check out the following groups in Goa offering online tutorials & diy ideas for you to try from home right now:
Learn how to set up a kitchen garden & grow your own vegetables at home with Green Essentials
Join a 5 week beginner guitar challenge hosted by The Goa Jazz Academy
The Owl House launched their at home learning channel
The Language Portal Goa offers online French & English classes
Up your digital marketing game with Skills Studio Goa
Explore natural / household dyes with the Color Ashram Foundation
For an even greater selection of online tutorials & short courses coming to you from around the world, check out Udemy & Skill Share.
Things you MUST do during & after the lockdown
DO: Reflect on your life goals
Finding your calling could be one of the hardest things to do but with this special period given to us where time is standing still and there is no hurry, it definitely is a good idea to reflect on our journey. In a world so hurried, social distancing is probably an apt method to take a deep breath and channel our energies where they are thriving the most. This is the moment when we should explore self love, self care and all those things that make us happy but have no time for otherwise.
Sooth your soul while stuck at home via Shivya Nath of The Shooting Star's blog post on How to Indulge Your Wanderlust at Home During the Coronavirus Pandemic.
DO: Explore the anatomy of your body
With the internet on our fingertips, we all have a lot more information than most of us can handle. The end result is haphazardly placed knowledge and confused minds.
While we socially distance this 2020, we must educate ourselves about the respiratory, immune and nervous system that will allow us to take better care of ourselves and our community. Not in depth of course, but we must create awareness about what we are eating, and doing so healthily should be the only option.
Getting to know our bodies and listening to them is one of the biggest favours we can do for ourselves.
To start, we suggest you tune into the following videos on Mindfulness & Every day yoga practices curated via Greenlane.tv.
DO: Read up on world politics
In 2020, one should understand how the world functions. Knowing how other countries have combated similar situations and come out as winners, can be a good source for comparison. Especially whilst we try to make informed decisions during difficult economic times or leading up to our country's elections.
We suggest checking out platforms such as Medium & Flipboard for daily news articles from around the world.
Things you should AVOID during the COVID-19 lockdown
DON'T: Blindly believe social media
With everything becoming a thumbnail, we tend to believe anything that flashes on our screen. With information being the most powerful tool, it becomes imperative that we are careful what we feed our brains. Not only does that dictate our perspective on life but also how we react on a rainy day. Social media is a great tool and was invented to make our lives easier. The fact that it is being used to mass manipulate for selfish reasons of the ones who cannot be named is such a sad state of affairs that indulging in it makes it even more jarring for us as a civilization.
If you're looking for facts & valid opinions, or simply in need of some light hearted content, we suggest you do the following:
Follow @ActforGoa on Instagram for your dose of daily updates, relevant news & helpful links specific to the COVID-19 situation in Goa.
Follow @GiveforGoa, an initiative led by a group of young Goans to feed those in need during the lockdown, to see what's really happening on the ground day in & day out in Goa.
Check out Shivya Nath of The Shooting Star who has been compiling a highlights real ‘Corona Talk’ on her Instagram page @Shivya that's full of good insights, positive news links & other resources related to the outbreak.
DON'T: Spread rumours that can cause panic & paranoia
A pandemic is not a joke and it is extremely juvenile to not know facts before one starts having an opinion. In a situation like this, the most susceptible are the ones who are too naïve due to lack of exposure or maybe due to social status and it is unfair to spread panic with rumours that affect people and their state of mind.
Mass hysteria is a real threat to society and whilst we are social distancing, we must do everything we can to not cause paranoia. If there are deaths, there are also cases of recovery like the 94 year old Italian woman becoming the oldest person to survive this otherwise dubbed fatal virus. At such a crucial time, it is one of the foremost duties to take precautionary measures, wash our hands as frequently as we can and be ready with a solution instead of adding to the list of problems.
World Health Organization (WHO) is without a doubt one of the most reputable sources of information at this time.
We suggest you read their article 5 steps to kicking out Coronavirus & check out their COVID-19 tracker for up to date information & statistics on the number of cases worldwide.
For all things Goa specific, follow @ActforGoa & read our posts on 3 mobile apps providing essential service information in Goa & 3 ways to donate today & help those in need in Goa during the COVID-19 lockdown.
Things you MUST avoid during & after the lockdown
DON'T: Forget to wash your hands or not using hand sanitizer
Hand sanitizers have been around for a while and even though it has been marketed as a necessity it has only been just a trending item in our handbags.
With the advent of the Covid 19, using sanitizers has become the need of the hour and why not? One cannot wash hands everywhere but taking measures to be clean nonetheless shouldn’t be an option but a choice. So don’t forget to sanitize before and after meals and even after you paid that bill.
Check out this tutorial on how to make your own hand sanitizer at home using just 3 ingredients via the Healthline.
DON'T: Fall behind on your personal hygiene
Personal hygiene is one of the least discussed topics in the society. At schools we are just taught to wash our hands before eating. All our bodies are unique and each one of us will have a separate way of synchronizing our bodies to our routines. It is now that we should start prioritizing ourselves. Simple habits like changing sheets every second day, not keeping dishes overnight, being careful about fresh fruits and food rotting could bring a lot of benefits to our life.
A wise man once said, “Decluttering your space is decluttering your mind”.
Here are a few simple tricks to keep in mind while tidying up at home:
Master the art of zero waste living
Reduce your waste simply by learning how to effectively segregate your garbage. For this we suggest you spend some time over on Daily Dumb!
Collect all wet waste, such as fruit/vegetable scraps, to use as compost for your new kitchen garden
On the rare occasions you do go out to collect supplies, bring a bag
Sign up for Bangalore based Bare Necessities' 'Zero Waste in 30' online course
Try making your own DIY cleaning products
Use lime to clean your nails for an at home manicure and pedicure.
Used leftover coffee grounds (with a bit of coconut oil or honey) as body or face scrub.
Use a mix of vinegar, baking soda & water to clean your kitchen, floors & bathroom.
Use wet old newspapers to clean mirrors and window panes.
Up your organisation game
Use old cardboard boxes to organise drawers.
Take a moment to declutter your wardrobe. Items you no longer need can be set aside to exchange or donate at the next SST Goa (Sale.Swap.Takeaway) or Offbeat Goa's next Good Karma Garage Sale.
DON'T: Organize or attend a mass gathering
A virus like the one at our necks obviously needs carriers and is easily transmitted via saliva and mucus. An otherwise common cold and cough could be a sign but are not the only symptoms to look out for. Hence face masks are recommended. So logically, if we stay in our own space and take care of ourselves and our loved ones, we can hinder the growth of this virus which could possibly save an entire generation.
So in the meantime for all your get together needs, why try one of the many online platforms available today to bring all of your nearest & dearest under one roof... well almost. We can suggest Zoom, Google Hangouts or Houseparty as solid contenders for a great virtual gathering.
However if & when you do find yourself out of the house, be sure to carry a face mask. If you're facing a shortage, as most communities are, DIY masks can be made from home using spare cotton clothing or fabric scraps as shown in the following detailed video tutorial via The Times of India.
And better still, is this tutorial on how to make an anti microbial mask using natural dyes created by Namrata of The Colour Ashram Foundation. Find parts one & two above!
Photo by @ekaterina_ronami
This could arguably be one of the biggest crisis to hit humanity.
To act like conscious human beings is simply the right (and only) way to go about it. We must take this as a cue to start valuing the little things in life, be a bit more grateful of what we have, respect other’s privileges and most importantly, be kind to each other.