The British government has given its people a very simple instruction – we must stay home. As such, there will be no gatherings with over two people, no travelling to meet family and no visits to places of worship, including mosques (Pakistanis, please take note). Only in very limited circumstances are we allowed out. If we don’t follow the rules, the police will be able to enforce them through fines and other means.
Whilst the lockdown, though unsurprising, has resulted in shock across the country, we know this is essential in the fight against coronavirus. It is essential to halt the growth of the ‘invisible killer’, essential to reduce the number of people needing hospital treatments at any one time and essential to protect the ability of the healthcare system to cope and save more lives.
What does this mean for Pakistan? It means that with the number of cases currently confirmed at 1,500 (on March 28), Pakistanis are going to have to take drastic steps to counter the current growth. This means no social visits to friends’ houses, this means being mindful that meeting your elderly relatives may expose them to harm rather than benefiting them and this means that your shopping spree can wait.
So, what can we do instead?
Some of my loved ones have recommended virtual coffees with friends on Zoom, family activities, exercise in the garden, learning new skills online and taking part in online courses. With all the doom and gloom circulating on social media, I thought I’d take the opportunity to share my top five recommendations so that we can start loving life once again.
First, I’ve been joining yoga classes from London with my aunt and cousins in the United States via FaceTime. Not only does this tick off that physical activity quotient each day, but it also helps to reconnect with family that you haven’t caught up with for a while (and is happy that your wings as a social butterfly have temporarily been tied!).
Second, I’ve started taking (a very initial) interest in cooking. The lessons my mother has been trying to relay to me may finally be seeping through. If you’re not currently with family during this period of social distancing, fret not! There are fantastic YouTube videos and recipes for anything and everything that you could possibly be craving.
Third, read! There have been so many books on my list and now is the perfect time to pick these up. From books on religion, politics, mindfulness and more, this is such a great time to build on your knowledge bank or just detach from all the negativity that is going on. Three recommendations would be: A Passage to India (E.M. Forster), Follow me Akhi (Hussein Kesvani) and Becoming (Michelle Obama).
Fourth, time to get your space Marie Kondo’d. For those of you that aren’t familiar with the term, you can watch the series Tidying Up with Marie Kondo on Netflix. It may be a more productive way of spending your binge-watching pass than some of the other series. Her KonMari method will help you to love tidying up, stop hoarding and be a pro at organising your life. Time to de-clutter and breathe in the zen.
Some of my loved ones have recommended virtual coffees with friends on Zoom, family activities, exercise in the garden, learning new skills online and taking part in online courses
Fifth, and most importantly, spend dedicated time with those that you’re living with and also those that you can virtually catch up with online or on the phone. Grab a coffee or your meal, take down your defences and just talk your heart out, laugh and connect. As humans, we crave these moments, but we deprive ourselves of them by letting life sweep us away. This is our chance to pause, reflect and re-establish that which we have taken for granted. It’s your moment to put things right.
We’re all in this together and whilst it’s easy to think about the negatives of social distancing, it’s never been easier to be in touch with your nearest and dearest whilst focusing on self-growth. If you don’t focus on the positive aspects, you’ll look back at this time and regret not seizing a fantastic opportunity to make the most of your life. This is the time to invest in yourself, your home and your family. When did you last do it? Don’t waste this chance. It’s a great opportunity to reset and really focus on what matters.
The writer is a London-based corporate lawyer, Chairperson of the Oxbridge Muslim Alumni (OMA) and President of the youth wing of DIL Trust UK