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If you're a freelancer, having everyone at home has added stress to your life too. But here's what you can do to combat the stress and not go mad!
If you’re a freelancer, having everyone at home has added stress to your life too. But here’s what you can do to combat the stress and not go mad!
The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted everyone’s way of life. Social distancing and self-isolation have become the new normal. Governments, organisations, mental health workers all across the globe are giving lockdown guidelines.
Right from how to keep yourself busy, to how to stay connected, and how to not feel lonely and dejected. A lot has been said and done about isolation and mental health. Human beings are social animals, after all.
But every rule has an exception. There is a class of rare species, those that crave for some alone time despite all the isolation.
Some people get the strength and sanity from their solitude while the kid(s) and husband were away. Yes, there are people like us who love our families more when they are a bit apart. The individualist in me, loves taking time off from family responsibilities every once in a while.
Overindulgence of family time is affecting mental health during the lockdown. Unfortunately, with a preschooler locked at home, it is impossible to feel relieved of those duties even for a moment.
Regrettably, no one is talking about this set of people and how their mental health during COVID 19 is affected. No more uninterrupted hours, no more hours of unaccompanied time and productive hours is driving me crazy.
I do manage a few hours by following ‘when the world sleeps my mind awakes’ though. But it leaves me nothing less than a zombie
Before anyone comes gun-blazing towards me, I am a mother and wife, but first, I am a woman. All right, I don’t hate being a mother. I love my child to the moon and back. But I love myself too. And I would like to pass on the same message to my little one when she grows up: to keep herself and her happiness above all.
This isn’t my plight alone. I recently had a conversation with an ex-colleague who has an infant at home. She told me about her extended washroom breaks, tagging some books along, to keep the madness at bay.
As a freelancer, I am expected to be comfortable staying at home and working. Since it’s new for others, I should understand and support them. While I agree that working from home isn’t different for me, I am not comfortable working with everyone around me.
I have so many roles to play. Along with being my daughter’s teacher, I am also her facilitator, playmate, a partner in crime, caregiver, in-house chef, and her agony aunt.
For my husband, I am his enabler, morale booster, and his accomplice (I confess, we are guilty of indulging in ice-cream and Netflix while the kiddo naps) Apart from all these, I have work deadlines to meet. With so much on my plate already, a breathing spell is not uncalled for.
When you miss your solitude, the only way out is to actually find time for yourself.
Don’t expect others to change their routine, but you can change yours. I wake up early while everyone else is sleeping and lock myself in a room with a do-not-disturb sign.
At this time, I don’t want my husband to barge in even if that’s for a morning hug. That makes me rude I know, but I don’t want my thoughts to be interrupted by a simple good morning. Moreover, it will defeat the whole purpose of my being alone. You too may find at least an hour for yourself, either early morning or late at night.
Always ensure to incorporate some time for physical and mental fitness. Ten minutes of exercise and ten minutes of meditation would also suffice. If it’s feasible for you, go for a walk to get some fresh air for the body and mind.
In case you live with adults, politely ask them to let you be for some time. And if you have kids around then try to schedule their television time when you don’t expect any other interruptions.
If the 24*7 into family time is not for you, go ahead on that much-needed break. They, probably, need a break from you too. As little as 30 minutes of alone time can do wonders to level up your mental health during COVID 19.
A version of this was earlier published here.
Picture credits: Pexels
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