Pandemic Habits

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teenagers by Sean Covey is a book that transformed my thinking during my teenage years. However, I was unable to actually adhere to the habits that I developed using the tips and tricks in the book. I often blamed it on my hectic school schedule and participation in several extra-curriculars. At 21 years of age, as a final year university student back home in the middle of a pandemic and global lockdown, I found myself with plenty of hours and days on hand. I have heard that it takes 21 days to form a habit. However, I have had 8 months and still counting. Yet, I have not been able to develop a real pandemic habit with the exception of my sleeping in until right before the start of online classes. However, the situation was not all a lost cause.

In the initial days of the lockdown, I struggled with anxiety and extremely deprecating thoughts whenever I considered my career options and possibilities. This was in spite of having a clear career path chosen by me, waiting for me to merely start working upon it. So, what was really lacking?

The answer was A ROUTINE, i.e. habits. I have always been accustomed to having a particular routine for my daily activities. It was a habit instilled by my parents and honed by me during my university years. Now that my brain suddenly found itself in a situation that was neither a vacation nor a workday, it sort of lost its train of thought and my routines disappeared into thin air. My mental health took a toll due to this and rightly so, in the midst of a pandemic keeping your sanity was a humongous task. It was during one of those unhappy and unproductive days that I came across the Sean Covey book sitting in my bookshelf. I thought that no better time than right now to try out forming better habits.

I chose two particular habits that I had lost out during my university days: a. my casual reading and b. yoga, meditation, and exercise. I decided a morning routine that incorporates these would be the best way to start my day and ensure I use my energy towards fulfilling my dreams and aspirations. You already know the ending to this story but there is a twist. I did actually form a morning routine and stuck religiously to it for about 2 months. There were days that I gave up, but I found motivation from within to restart the very next day. The habits helped me a ton with my mental health. I felt more positive and happier and it genuinely led to a couple of achievements that I am extremely proud of.

Somewhere down the line, I just stopped sticking to these habits. I truly do not know why or when, but I try to get back to it every day. One of these days, I believe I will achieve that and when I do, I will proudly proclaim them as my pandemic habits. A silver lining to the dark cloud that was COVID-19.