There are two ways to look at this lock down; a) A torture b) A life changing opportunity

Are you among those who are cursing the quarantine period every single day? Or are you the one who is silently utilizing this golden period to build, upgrade and improve yourself?

The world around has come to a standstill abruptly. Life, as we know it, has suddenly become very monotonous.

After starting to work from home, many of us are getting a lot of free time with no idea on how to spend it.

However, if we come to think about it, this is indeed an opportunity for all of us to get into things that we never really had the time to.

This too shall pass, we will not be in quarantine forever and when we are out in the world again, let us emerge as new individuals with skills that will take us higher up in the new world.

Here is a list of 5 activities that can transform our life.

1) Upgrade yourself; Learn a new skill

You might have always wanted to learn a different language or try your hands in Photoshop or Camtesia, well this is your opportunity.

For instance, if you like designing, then this might be the ideal time for you to excel that skill by learning graphic designing.

Go to Youtube and learn any software from scratch with the help of hundreds of informative tutorials from experts in various domains.

Having an additional skill in your resume can open a lot of opportunities for you, and thus this is something that you can consider.

Again, the internet can come to your rescue as there are multiple courses that are being conducted online. Khan Academy for example is a good place for students to learn their subjects during this period.

To do:

1) Websites like Udemy and Coursera for example, are great resources to learn certified courses(like public speaking, blogging, digital marketing, programming language, leadership skills, cake baking and so on)  at a very nominal amount.

You name any skill and you will find it in these e-learning centers.

2) If for example, you have an inclination toward cake baking then use this quarantine period to take your casual hobby to the next level. Go to Youtube and learn from experts how to bake designer cakes.

Use this skill to start your online bakery and spread your business through facebook page/groups to take orders and deliver customized cakes in your town/city.

3) Meanwhile if you are good at something you can also start your own youtube channel and start showcasing your talent to the world. Gradually when this channel becomes popular in the coming months, you can earn good amount of money too.

If however you are not comfortable with making videos, blogging is another good alternative. Create a blog, share useful content, improve your traffic and eventually monetize the blog.

4) And finally use this time to make some quick money by becoming a freelance content writer, proof reader, illustrator, graphic designer etc.  Sites like freelancer, upwork can help in this regard.

Alternatively you can also take help of google search or join various facebook groups to hunt potential clients.

2) Spend time with your family

Going on with the mundane life has indeed taken a toll on us. The 9 to 5 jobs, coaching classes and daily activities do not really allow us to spend time with our family.

Thanks to this urban lifestyle, we now spend 10-12 hours with colleagues and 2-3 hours with family during the week days.

However, now in the midst of the pandemic, you can finally ‘reunite’ with family members

To do:

i) This month long quarantine is a great opportunity for couples to rekindle their faded relationships.

Spend this time with your partner; arrange candle light dinner with your wife in your roof top, cook together, watch movies together in laptop, take out your old photo albums and revisit those forgotten memory lanes and do all those things that you haven’t done for years.( Click here for more ideas)

ii) Teach life skills to children. Introduce them to a new dimension of life; show them how to cook, teach them household chores, impart lessons on humanity and ethical values and make them more humane and spiritual.

iii) Spend quality time with elders in the family. Listen to their stories, dine together, watch TV serials and movies and organize fun games and activities where everybody can participate

3) Conduct Charity

This is the time for the human race to come together.

COVID 19 have proved it once and for all, that death treats all equally. There is no class segregation when it comes to death.

Like we are stuck at home, a lot of unprivileged people are also sitting home, unpaid and without much to meet their daily needs.

This is the time for us to help them.

Charity is the need of the hour, and if you are in for it, then it is indeed commendable.

To do:

i) Raise fund through whatsapp and facebook with the help of your friends, colleagues and family members.

Find out a few genuine poor families and buy them groceries for a month. Maintain social distancing while doing this.

ii) Start a food bank in your locality with the help of a few like minded neighbours

iii) Don’t sack any employee who is working for you. Also pay full salary to your driver, maid(s) and cook. In fact you should also transfer some money in their accounts to help them survive this lockdown period.

4) Restart your old hobbies

Back in school did your dancing skills awe the people around you? Were you a painter 15 years back? Or a successful numismatic who has lost the passion for coins in the rat race?

Well in that case, it is time to rediscover your lost self!

Since life in this lock down is quite stressful, why not ease out the pressure by pursuing a lost hobby?

Starting from gardening, cooking, painting and doing standup comedy to making You-tube videos, podcasts and writing, no matter what you enjoy doing, do it now!

This can also help you in the field of your work in the days to come.

In case you want to start a new hobby you can easily do it. Thanks to the endless opportunity provided by the internet, it is possible to learn a lot of skills from the comfort of your home.

5) Update your CV and professional accounts

Even though we might not see it, job scopes will become even more competitive after the lock down, and thus it is important that we start preparing for that period right away.

In that light, this might be the ideal time for you to start updating your resume.

If you are taking up a new course, or a new hobby, make sure you update the same in your resume.

Additionally, look into ways that you can use to revamp your resume and all the other professional networking sites like Linkedin and much more. Professional connections are going to be essential in the days to come, so work towards that end.

Over to You

How are you passing your days of isolation? Are you doing something meaningful to improve yourself? Let us know in the comment section.

In case you are in fear, distress or dilemma regarding your future, worry not; this is just a momentary phase of life and this too shall pass!