Life Post COVID 19
By- Lifestyle Food
In these uncertain times, we cannot help but wonder, what could be the life post-COVID 19. We at Lifestyle for Food are also speculating, how it could turn out to be! The opportunity to make the world a better and greener place is right at our doors knocking. Read along to see what could and could not be.
The days ahead, until the lockdown, are quite gloomy and uncertain. But it has also presented us with a unique opportunity to reflect on our lives and consider a few positives that could come out of this. One thing we have noticed is that we can adapt very quickly and let us hope to continue doing this. Why stop here?
Working from home flexibly
During this period, we have set and adapted to non-standard 9 to 5 working hours to accommodate personal and family commitments, what with non-availability of house help, and all the help we took for granted. We agree that an initial couple of weeks were a turmoil but eventually, we have slipped into a routine of our own and we are still able to deliver for the business and yet make enough quality time for family and friends ( of course virtual meeting with friends and extended family). By now the companies also would have and should have realized that all employees need not be working from the office every day and thus reducing the overhead costs of transportation and obviously the ever-increasing real estate price. This would hugely add to our beloved Planet becoming greener with a reduced amount of CO2 emission by reduced transportation.
“Money can’t buy us happiness, we must realize that there is another thing it cannot buy us—time.”
Health is wealth
If you are living in a metropolitan city, at the very least 2 hours is spent on an average of commuting. With the current lockdown situation, the moment you log off from work you are home! How wonderful is that?! In order to increase our immunity, there is a lot of awareness in society now on physical fitness. Parents are encouraging kids to have group workouts at home. This has become a ritual in some households already. It is so heartening to see the knowledge and life skills being passed on from parents to children directly instead of them picking it up from daycares and nannies; the families that are lucky enough to have grandparents in the vicinity. This world would be a better place if we could pass on the generations of experience and knowledge to our progeny! Let us strive to make this healthy habit of exercising a ritual in the family even after the lockdown!
Sustainable lifestyle
We have been traveling and shopping mindlessly for decades adding to the woes of the planet. Now we all have come to a realization that we actually do not need half the stuff we have bought at our whims and fancies! As per a survey, the fate of traveling suffers the same fate. People travel to places that look good on social media. Yeah, it sounds ridiculous now, doesn’t it? We are now leading a minimalist lifestyle buying things that we need locally. What could be better than that! We should travel and meet people, but not at the cost of our environment. With our advanced technology, we definitely can meet people without having to physically travel. Let us make it a point to travel to other countries only if necessary and make the decisions mindfully.
“Don’t give up and use these challenging times to become stronger, better, tougher. In the meantime—stay safe!”
Hygiene
We are now emphasizing the importance of hygiene and meticulously following it and for all the right reasons. Let us not forget the basic rules of hygiene and cleanliness during the COVID 19 times. Let us at all times carry a basic hygiene kit with hand and face wash, sanitizers, face masks, and a pair of hand gloves. Washing hands before and after every meal, cleaning your feet after you come indoors, sanitizing when appropriate, and cleaning the veggies and fruits thoroughly before consumption. Let us continue to practice these hygiene rules!
Homecooked meals
Packaged and canned food can make life easy but it cannot beat the health benefits of homecooked meals that are cooked from scratch. A homecooked meal not only keeps the nutrients intact, but it also helps in the reduction of preservatives and sugars that go into making a packaged food product. You don’t have to make the meals alone! Involve your kids in the process and eventually, it will become a fun ritual in the family. This is not just a basic skill but also an invaluable life skill for your kids.
All these days we have been eating in front of the television alone but now it has to an extent become a family meal and for good! This sends a very positive message subconsciously that you are not alone. This not only reduces the stress in kids and teenagers but also wades away depression and loneliness which might eventually lead to alcoholism and drugs at a later stage in their lives. A family homecooked meal reinforces the notion that we are there for each other along with sustaining the body with the healthiest possible food. Let us help our progeny one meal at a time!
Nature has given us this precious opportunity to connect with our culture, get to know nature, and socialize albeit virtually. This is a golden opportunity we should not let go of and make time to learn a new skill, it could be as small as cutting the vegetables with different techniques or sewing a button. At the same time, teach our children new life skills and impart our experience and knowledge. It is also a very good time to start the ritual of storytelling. We cannot discount the advantages of what storytelling could do to kids in the long run. Time to find it out, isn’t it? Time to make our lives and happier and the Earth greener in our own way!
