Get Ready to be Quarantine +ve!
Every article, post, or even a new tweet on the Internet is buzzing about just one thing, anything new related to the recently found Corona Virus, a.k.a. COVID-19. Even though this information is important, it is also causing unnecessary stress to the common man. While the governments of all over the world are bringing out [many] new initiatives, the main thing required to beat this disease is self-isolation and quite a few people are failing to understand it's importance. While it has been months after this virus was detected it is only just becoming clear how long the virus can survive outside the human body. Like many respiratory viruses, including flu, COVID-19 can be spread in tiny droplets released from the nose and mouth of an infected person as they cough. According to bbc.com, "A single cough can produce up to 3,000 droplets". These particles can land on other people, clothing and surfaces around them, but some of the smaller particles can remain in the air. A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine states that the virus could survive in droplets for up to three hours after being coughed out into the air and up to 2-3 days on plastic and stainless-steel surfaces." Thus the government has initiated this lockdown so that they can minimize the impact of this deadly Corona Virus.
All the points which I'll be mentioning below have helped me a lot in these times and are based on my own experiences and a few on some recommendations given to me before, and although I know it's a bit late, I wanted to first check the tips before giving them to you.
Work your body out and get into shape! Being a fitness freak is a good thing, but that doesn't mean that it gives you a reason to go out for a jog! And nor does it give an excuse to the not-so-freaks to stay glued to their sofa sets and bulk out. I have used quite a few apps now in search for the one most compatible with me, and I felt that Nike's Training app is the best in the business. It can create plans according to your needs and your body and gives you the perfect workouts that will suit you, plus it also has many great plans that don't need any equipment and can help you maintain (or build) a great shape. Most of all it's free and provides detailed videos too! App: Nike Training Club: Available on Play Store [Android] and App Store [iOS].
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2. Read some books, or at least Listen to Them! Yes you heard me right! Reading is always good for everyone. It entertains oneself and also keeps him/her occupied. Apart from being a great pastime, it also enables you to expand your vocabulary and even boost your knowledge. Read some books and if it is not possible for you to sit and read one full book, listen to it's audio book. And if you don't have any books left to read at home, you can always use a few apps available on that small device in your pocket. There are many, many apps on the Play Store and App Store, but I'll put forward some of the safest and the best ones I found. For your reading: Amazon Kindle - If you have Amazon Prime, then this should be your go to app for reading books. It has thousands of books including almost all for free for Prime users, which can also be bought by Non-Prime users at a cheaper price than compared to the market. Available on both Android & iOS. Tinkle - Everyone's favourite childhood comic [including mine] has come up with a great initiative and is giving everyone a free one month membership, without asking for your credit/debit card details. I repeat EVERYONE! Each and every book of the Tinkle franchise is available on that app. Plus it's free and available on both Android & iOS. Audio books: Audible - It is one of the largest collection of audio books in one app. You can listen to podcasts as well as your favourite books, but for a price. There is a 30 day free trial but then you will have to pay for a monthly subscription, which kind of becomes a drawback. But it's many features balance it slightly, and place it higher in the list than it's competitors. Available on both Android & iOS. Booklet - Made in India, Made for India. That's the ideology behind this app. Amrut Deshmukh, the founder of this app and also it's presenter, provides summaries of popular books and uploads them in parts with a voice-over along with the text; and with it's mission of Making India Read, it becomes the perfect choice for those who can't decide which book to read next, or for those who want to save their time but would want to have the full detail of the book. Available on both Android & iOS. Blinklist - Another app, but this one only provides non-fiction titles. But the plus point is that it gives the full detailed summary of the book under just 15 minutes! Available on both Android & iOS. Don't know what to read? Click here to check my book recommendations
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3. Get into the Kitchen and Cook something up! Cooking is an art. As well as keeping other's tummies full with 'good' food. So grab your Chef's hat and start experimenting. There is a general notion that boy's don't cook, that is simply Wrong. After-all, cooking is a survival skill, and it's also not that hard (I've cooked a few things this lockdown). And I also know one of the best teachers you can get in this field, your Mothers! Above that if you want to make something new and interesting, you always have the Internet with you!
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4. Watch your Favourite Shows and Movies! As much as we don't accept it, deep down we all know that watching TV is a HUGE stress buster. Watching different genres but not overdoing it really helps to lighten the mood. There are quite a few streaming services which are providing us with some great web series-es. Did you watch 'Metro Park'? If not, go for it straight away as that is on top of my list!
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5. Learn something NEW, or Practice a Hobby which you haven't for a looong time! Be it Playing an Instrument, Yoga or even Magic, try to learn a new skill, which might help you out in the future! For example, I am practicing my hand in a few Magic tricks now, and it does help me to stay entertained and also enables me to entertain my family with a trick or two! Or else you can dust off your old dancing shoes and switch on the latest tracks and groove to the beat!
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6. Finally, Spend Time with Your Family! De-stressing and Detoxing is extremely important not only in these times but always. The best way though is spending quality time with your family. You can opt to play a board game such as Monopoly, Scotland Yard, or play some other games such as Carrom, Cards, or even Chess. But remember, spending quality time is not only playing a game, it can be anything else you prefer, as the choice is simply upto you.
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Apart from these, you can also do anything else which you wanted to do before, but didn't have time too. Remember that you have all the time you could ever get, so dust off that laziness and get off to work! ;)