Twenty-one days down and two weeks to go. Quaran-tine continues, going at different paces for different people, as we keep busy, get creative and try to be productive. They say it takes 21 days to form a habit, so it is the perfect time to reflect over the changes that have slowly become permanent.
Being more attentive to the news: For someone who considered the news to mostly be optional, I now cling to it like a lifejacket. It doesn’t help that even when you’re trying to take a break, little snippets float around your screen, begging to be clicked on.
Cleaning up after ourselves: Since the more menial tasks now can’t be delegated to someone else, we are probably the cleanest and neatest we’ve ever been. ‘What’s for dinner’ is now based on which recipe requires me to use the least amount of utensils. The popularity of ‘one-pot’ dishes have gone up exponentially.
D-I-Y: It’s all about being self-sufficient with everyone in Do-It-Yourself Mode. Almost daily, I seem to come across (rather brave) wives giving their husbands haircuts. Newlyweds Mahat Raghavendra and Prachi Mishra did the reverse, with him giving her a haircut, along with an instructional video. It was a similar scene with make-up artist Prakruthi Anant confidently cutting her bangs for the entire world to see. I had my fingers crossed, and thankfully, both ladies were successful in their endeavours.
Getting creative with fitness: This is probably my favourite of all the habits we’ve picked up. Being confined to our living rooms hasn’t come in the way of us finding new and improved ways to work out. Don’t have dumbbells? Swap them out for water bottles. No yoga mat? Pile up some fluffy towels and go for it.
Being less wasteful: Having to make household and kitchen resources last longer, not a single thing goes to waste. Tonight’s left over salsa becomes tomorrows ‘Egg Burji’.
— paloma@newindianexpress.com