Lockdown Routine

• I start your day early with a run by 5:30ish as there are very few people on the roads or the best way is to choose interior residential roads where there are no people as the pandemic is not over yet. On longer runs during the week, I recite my favorite affirmations in my mind.
• I wrap up my run by 6:30 am as people step out for essentials by then. I do both my warm-up & cool-down stretches in my balcony. At times I join my sister on the terrace where she does her home workouts followed by meditation. Watching the sunrise & the fresh breeze, feeding the pigeons on the terrace is so relaxing. Then I make my Protein shake followed by a quick shower. Offering my prayers & starting my day with a quick breakfast with family on the dining table.
• I start my day reading a chapter from my favorite book, check my personal emails, post content on my social media page, follow-ups & finally log in to work by joining the daily stand-up & plan my schedule based on the priorities. For a highly productive day, I turn off all my notifications on my phone to wrap up important tasks.
• I step out of my room for lunch with family & get updates on the news, or anything that needs my sister or my attention during lunch from my parents. We try to keep our conversations with positive vibes as there’s already too much negativity around due to the havoc created by the coronavirus. I spend 10 mins looking around in the balcony, some minor household chores like cleaning the dining area, kitchen & I get back to work.
• Meetings, Discussion on blockers, emails & some research & my day at work ends. I turn on my notifications to skim through them in the evening. By then it's time for the sunset & we go to the terrace again to watch the simple pleasures of life & convey my gratitude prayers in my mind. Then we walk back, jotting down minutes of meetings, daily status emails, responding to some & then I log out for the day.
• I either get back to the reading for the next 30 mins & step for dinner with family. I usually have dinner before 8 pm as it's more like intermittent fasting for about 8 hours until my prework the next day morning.
• Post dinner, I go for a walk downstairs with my sister in my apartment with the masks on, & listening to a podcast or affirmations on my phone. The walk & talk during the full moon has been so scenic off late.
• Not every day is the same. At times, when I log out early, we sit down for a movie with family-like ZNMD, Hindi Medium, & some inspiration podcasts videos for sure. We also play badminton in the evenings to keep our parents physically active, the never-ending game of carrom, Ludo King, the game of cards & so on. We keep experimenting as the schedule gets boring at times given that we cannot step out during the lockdowns.
• Weekends is more likely a self-care & deep cleaning day at home. Be it applying a new hair mask, face mask, self-grooming, making the bed, gardening, grocery list, indulging in a dessert, watching videos that resonate with the goals I’m currently working on etc. Best weekends have been zoom call with my dance mates & my childhood friends. The joy of watching them safe & healthy in trying times like these is what I am grateful for.
• I go to bed reflecting on how my day looked like & the things I am really thankful for & listing them in my online Gratitude journal in Trello & also recite to Ho’ponopono prayers. Jotting down for the next day is helpful. My workout gear is set for the next day. I also listen to sleep sounds & fall asleep peacefully.

I Hope You Know That You Are Doing Better Than You Think You Are

Even if you don’t see it, you are doing better than you give yourself credit for. Even if you have no idea what’s going on or where you’re supposed to be, you are doing better than you think you are. Even if you don’t feel it, peace surrounds you.

P.S. No two days are the same. This can be a basic for some & luxury for someone else. Hence, our routines differ from person to person based on our priorities in life.

Feel free to share productive things I can add to my daily routine during the lockdown in the comments below.