Staying positive during the lockdown

With the problems this viral crisis brought us like financial insecurity, losing jobs, and uncertainties with prolonged lockdowns, we can’t deny the fact that some people are now experiencing depression and this is something to be dealt with as soon as possible.

So in order for us not to feel miserable too, I thought of several ways to keep us physically, emotionally and spritually healthy. This is in connection to the previous blog I’ve posted but this is to put emphasis on how we keep ourselves positive amidst the depression. Through these activities, we didn’t feel bored as we wait for the lifting of the community quarantine.

Here are the activities we do during the quarantine:

1.       Meditation

-          At 5 o’clock in the morning, I, together with Cherry, Shiralee and Kenneth wake up to meditate. We welcome the another extension of our lives by sitting together in my room closing our eyes, feeling God’s presence and keeping positive vibes as we breathe in hope and expel out the negativities. The stillness of the morning calms my senses. We do this for 30 minutes and I feel so much refreshed and renewed after the session.

2.       Exercise

-          Right after meditation, we do exercise. Thanks to Roberta’s Gym on Youtube! We start by warming up our bodies and we proceed to the exercise proper where there are daily exercises for cardio, endurance, and strength. We focused on firming our glutes and removing our belly flab. At first, it was hard to execute some moves but as days passed, I got used to it. The challenging exercises for me are the squats, 50-80 jumping jacks, star jumps, mountain climbing, and 1-minute plank. I also do hula hooping and cycling in the afternoon. With Cherry and the group, my motivation to lose weight grows stronger because I need to join them or else I will be marked ‘X’ for not participating. It’s really great to see the members of the family exercising together to be healthy. The family that sweats together stays fit forever.

3.       Diet

-          In the morning, I and Cherry only eat oats with boiled egg. I try to limit my rice intake. I do this to boost my metabolism. With my father’s garden, I thank God for giving us green leafy vegetables to eat such as malunggay and alugbati. We have a balanced diet as we alternate eating pork, chicken and fish. I make sure to drink plenty of water as well. I’ve seen improvements to my skin. My face doesn’t have pimples anymore and my complexion even fairer. There are so many benefits to eating healthy foods as I have regular bowel movement.

4.       Bible and Worship Songs

-          As I start doing the household chores, I listen to joyful worship songs. This makes me reminded everyday of God’s love. I always tune in to Hillsong and MCGI worship songs. I feel alive and happy to sing wonderful praises to God. Before going to bed, I make sure to read the daily gospel and talk to God to the things that happened during the day. I treasure my alone moments with God.

5.       Bonding time with my family

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As much as possible, we stay away from the social media. I always enjoy meaningful and fun conversations with my family. My Mum and my sister Cherry are the jokers of the family. I and Pup exchange our opinions about current events. We tease Kenneth sometimes. We asked Shiralee about her love life. Through this, we were able to share our knowledge from the reference books that we’ve read and reflections from the bible.

I hope that as we start to adapt the NEW NORMAL, we may still continue to do the productive things we have done during the quarantine. Honestly, I didn’t feel worried each passing day as these activities helped me to forget my problems. Instead, I look forward each day thinking how I will please God. This gives me a positive outlook in life. This has been the conversion that I am looking for and I’m going to continue to be fit, positive and calm to keep myself intact. This too shall pass.