Last year, around this time, I was preparing for my board exams. After the exams were over, my 9–5 commitment continued. I was constantly trying to catch up with my life. I had accustomed myself, once again, to the hustle and bustle of my life and the deep anxiety that came along with it.

Then, 2020 happened.

I know that we are in difficult times right now. The severity of COVID-19 is real. The world is a scary and confusing place right now, with thousands of people being infected everyday, and thousands dying everyday. We worry about our health and well-being and that of our loved ones. Businesses are closed, relationships are being affected, the economy is spiraling down. Some of us are sick and tired of being confined inside the four walls of our houses. We’re trying to adjust ourselves to the new normal. Even in the midst of this global crisis we worry about our bills. There’s that as well.

I am a person who panics and gets anxious time and again. With no distraction whatsoever and having nothing much to do during the lockdown, I assumed that it would be difficult for my mental health. With all of these things going on, I have come to realize the privileges that I have. This has taught me to shift my focus to the things that I can control, from things that I cannot.

I used to complain about the things that I didn’t have, and in turn I never really appreciated the things that I already had. I never believed in being positive all the time because, you know, “shit happens” and I overthink. But now, I think that having a positive mindset is important as well. I have slowly learned to find small joys in the little things. It feels amazing! The moments spent with my family, taking over the tasks in the kitchen and preparing home-cooked meals are some of the things that make me happy.

Some days, I am extremely productive—I perform my morning rituals, do my workout, and pick up on all the things that I had been procrastinating. On other days, I am my lazy self again, and the only productive thing I do is to wake up. On either day, I am happy. Stillness, gratitude and empathy is what I need. At slower times like these, the moments are worth living too.

Do what makes you happy. Whether it be waking up at 2 pm, ditching your bra or doing nothing at all. We are in no place to judge how we choose to spend our time. Self-care is the word that’s trending on social media. And that is exactly what we should be doing. Taking care of ourselves. This time, too, shall pass, and we will have new problems to deal with later. Till then, let us go through this time with a positive mindset and kindness.