The Lockdown has awakened something in all of us privileged enough to sit at home and luxuriate in boredom. A time to reassess our past journey as an individual and as the collective humanity, and ask ourselves whether we want to be in auto mode or clear out some cobwebs of congestion.  A big chunk of self-development reflections is related to finding a way to stop reacting to situations but start listening to life’s message. Of course, it’s not exactly the most natural way of being, but it certainly feels like a phase in life where if you keep doing what you always do, then you will keep getting what you always get.

Our repetitive patterns that can breed internalised toxicity range from every day, corrosive habits such as how we interpret the behaviour of others, how we speak about ourselves or others, how we treat our physical shell or how we respond to a professional or personal crisis. Some of the ways in which I’ve tried to utilise such long days of confinement has been to incorporate positive patterns of behaviour and try to convert it to short term goals, then slowly expand it to long-term goals at every goalpost arrived. Think in days, not months. So far, it has brought rich internal rewards and makes me believe in the possibility of transformations again.

Substituting unhealthy reflexes.  Ultimately, all of our changing-pattern efforts are about trying to contain and limit negativity breeding in my pores. It’s not easy and pitfalls consistently pepper the journey. But there are a few tools I use to keep ‘substituting’ any unwanted thought patterns intruding my mind. Shifting toxic vocabulary and cruel admonishments to more self-loving ones. On social media, I actively seek out inspirational figures to absorb their perspectives. I try to avoid reading online rants or share and forward any message that is not about lifting the human spirit. Give myself a time limit as to how long I allow myself to indulge in worry (if it used to take three days a week I try to confine it now to one day a week). And of course, the ultimate troika of keeping my days in spiritual engagement, constant physical action and good nutrition all bolsters the soul upwards and keeps the march forward with enhanced belief and trust in the power of Creation.

May we all come out of the other side of this pandemic more enlightened and forgiving of ourselves and others.