Recently, I participated and completed a week long survey called ‘Psychology of everyday life during the lockdown’. Asking respondents to answer questions about their emotional states three times a day for 7 days, the research aims to gather insights based on data from over 100 participants. Looking back on my inputs, I noticed a few things about myself:
– I rated myself very low on negative feelings like anger, loneliness, and sadness
– I scored high on feelings of positivity throughout the week
This has made me wonder: what have I been doing that’s helped me manage my thoughts and emotions and stay upbeat (in a realistic way) in this difficult period? Although not intended to serve as a prescription for others to follow, I feel that sharing might genuinely help anyone who comes across this list:
– Starting the mornings early to have enough time for mindfulness meditation, setting intention for the day, and practicing gratitude.
– Being the first one to reach out to family and friends.
– Finding joy in small things like making lemon tea and reading.
– Being playful with my partner.
– Finding time for recreation, typically in the form of watching series (Suits in particular), movies (you should try Miracle in Cell No. 7), and random Youtube Videos (DW Documentary is a good one).
– Ensuring continuity of what used to be regular rituals pre-pandemic like reading every morning, having conversations about life with my partner, taking regular breaks, treating weekends like weekends.
– Accepting myself on days when I feel no urge to be productive.
– Limiting social media consumption.
– Checking-in with my team regularly.
– Focusing only on what I can control, especially my response to my thoughts and feelings.
When times have been uncomfortable, simply sitting with my thoughts and feelings, and writing them out has been therapeutic. Instead of denying feelings of negativity, accepting that they are there and will go away at their own pace has been reassuring.
Have you thought about what’s been working for you?
The Mindful Nepali 
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