Image Credits: mdx.ac.uk

In the last 4 blog posts, we explored how the pandemic impacted four important pillars for purposeful living; spiritual, mental, emotional and relational. Let’s explore the fifth pillar, the ‘physical’ related to the health of people in this blog.The health pillar consist of three aspects exercise, nutrition and rest. As in the past four blog posts let me describe my experience during the pandemic.

After I got standard in dhaka, ehe time I spent converting delivery methods of our intellectual services online, engaging with the authorities about arranging passage home, conducting webinars, taking part in webinars organised by others, catching up on the covid updates, writing recommendations, and being in touch with my family took more time and energy than usual.

Let’s explore the ‘rest’ aspect first. While I used to sleep one our two hours before midnight before the pandemic, the new workload resulted in me sleeping after mid night and waking late most days. While I was conscious of how detrimental this was to my health, I was not able improve this. However after returning to Sri Lanka, this changed as my work load on getting back home was eliminated. I slept by 10 pm and was awake at 6 am the entire fortnight while undergoing quarantine at the Blue Waters Beach Resort. This trend continued after returning home for a while, but with the emerging demands the sleep timings became inconsistent. In addition to sleep timings it is important to take at least one free day a week and this was a big improvement area too, until I managed ot find the time to take the family down to a beach resort last weekend and take a proper free day.

The next aspect is exercises. I used to do yoga and meditation in the morning and exercises for at least 30 minutes a day before the pandemic. The length and quality of meditation and yoga varied based on the time I had in the morning before I headed off to work. After the pandemic began, my meditation and yoga sessions were longer and exercise were more intense. I ensured these practices every day even if I woke late when I was in Dhaka. It was easier and of better quality during quarantine and for a few weeks after returning home. However with my sleep patterns becoming inconsistent the quality of my morning meditation and yoga has also got adversely affected.

Nutrition is the aspect where I have been least consistent with, during the time in Dhaka and after returning home. Thankfully the quality and quantity of nutrition during quarantine was very good as we were provided well balanced meals planned by the medical experts.

The sense I make from this exploration is that the challenges of the pandemic has had an adverse effect on my health related practices although I am aware of what is required, have practiced such disciplines regularly in the past and have the intention get back to an ideal routine.

People I speak to lament about challenges in the various aspects. Many could not sleep on time or sleep well due to the information overload and the anxiety as as the lockdowns began in March. Many could not exercise as they were not allowed to leave home. However this should not be an excuses as I exercised indoors most of the days. Its only in the last 2 months that I started taking walks by the lake near my home in Sri Lanka. Some manage nutritious well, specially due to the compulsion of doing home gardening in the first two months with the fear of food shortages etc. This too is fading out and many find that managing the quality of food intake is also becoming challenging.

The quality of health related practices explored in this blog has a direct impact on our immunity, which has a direct impact on our ability to fight the virus. As such it is important for us to be very mindful about this aspect and I intend focusing on it more intensely and intently from now onwards.

I wish you purposeful living.