Work From Home Is The New Normal

I am a stay-at-home mother of a 4-year old, who has always preferred to work-from-home. For me, the opportunities have been endless, as I love working as a freelancer. Believe me it’s a great gig to have. And juggling life’s responsibilities on a daily basis has made me highly skilled at multitasking.

My desire to have a career while being available for my kid has parlayed into landing a job that has melded to a working parent’s schedule and at the same time, has made me capable of fulfilling the financial needs of my family. It’s been 3 years since I’ve been working steadily as a freelance writer and during this time, I have realized that this option can help people like me kick butt working from home.

Work From Home – This is What Your Neighbours Are Doing & You Can Do It Too….

Since the situation is not the same and going haywire, amidst the coronavirus spread, many of us are dealing with this in a hard way. Truly, you may not be a fan of working from home, but this is what many of your neighbors are doing as the city is in the lockdown state.

Twitter, Google, Microsoft, Apple, Amazon and many other companies around the globe have rolled out mandatory work-from-home policy, during the massive spread of coronavirus pandemic. Today, tens of millions of people are being forced to work from home. So, be prepared, because working from the ‘home office’ will be the new normal for many of us for a while, given the latest announcements done by the government and the gradual increase in the number of COVID-19 cases every day.

Working From Home Productively

If you are among those, who would be working from home for the first time, this means you have to figure out how to stay focused on any task in a new environment and make your time more productive.

Don’t worry! There are many ways to bring in results and avoid going stir-crazy. This ability to work flexibly is one of the top contributors to a healthy work-life balance and that’s all what we need to understand, for now.

There are no hard and fast rules to follow, but this is what I do to increase my productivity at work, while taking care of other things at home, simultaneously.

• I’ve created a proper office space at home. With this, I mean a table, a chair, a docking station (if required) etc. and this is worth the effort. Avoid yourself from sitting on beanbags, sofa or at the comfort of your bed, because it will not only affect your body posture, but will also have an impact on your work efficiency.
• As best you are able, choose a quiet place of work. Doing this might sound challenging, especially if you have kids, but always remember, great ideas grow in sustained quiet.
• If possible, move your workspace, near a window with adequate light. Good natural light brings in positivity while working. And you can also have a sneak-peak at what’s happening outside.
• Prepare a schedule and plan your office time. Remember “I can work anytime” attitude does not help and your work may start piling up. Allocating time to your work, while dedicating some time to your household chores can do wonders.
• Don’t stay in your pajamas, all day. Always wear something comfortable while working that will put you in the active work-mode.
• Conference calls with your teammates and colleagues throughout the day and a check-in on co-workers will keep you motivated.

Right now, in this chaotic period of uncertainty, perfect days at “home office” are hard to come by. Some days you will be full on energy, other days you might be off. Some days will start early, some days you might run late. Some days your kids will derail you, some days not. So, do not try to create an industrial model of working from home. Just be open to life's currents, stay productive and stay safe at home.

Read more about how Cabinet Secretary has slammed all the rumors about the extension of the lockdown in India. 

When I Witnessed The Last Solar Eclipse of the Decade

Before I bid goodbye to 2019, I was lucky to witness the last solar eclipse of the decade, the celestial wonder. Thursday morning was an absolute treat for astronomers and avid sky-watchers like me, as the Annular Solar Eclipse was very stunning to witness. This was the biggest astronomical phenomenon ever and many other avid sky watchers witnessed it across the world.

This Ring of Fire was visible across most part of South Asia and the Middle East, including India, Australia, the Philippines, Saudi Arabia and Singapore. It was visible across the US for the first time after 99 years. The passing of the Sun's light from the Moon formed a negative shadow, which looked like a ring of fire. It was significant being the last solar eclipse of the decade and also a rare one.

Eclipses have always been considered a significant celestial event by Hindus, since time immemorial and this year gave us a number of opportunities to witness the beautiful phenomenon.

As per Hindu mythology, the sun is worshipped as a major life force, but during an eclipse it disappears, making it an omen of all things evil. Therefore, eclipses are considered to be inauspicious by Hindus. To minimise the negative effects of this natural phenomenon, we Hindus do a number of rituals.

But before I tell you about some rituals that I followed this year, do you know, there is a story behind this phenomenon in Hindu mythology, which clearly gives a reason as to why the eclipse occurs. Well, if you haven’t heard about it yet, here’s a small version that I heard from my mom, when I was a kid.

The Story Of Eclipse

As described in Bhagwat Gita and Vishnu Purana, the story of eclipses in Hindu mythology dates back to Samudra Manthan, when the elixir of immortality was churned out of the ocean and the gods used the celestial nymph or Apsara Mohini to trick the devils out of their share.  

One of the devils, Asura Svarbhanu, disguised himself as a god and sat between the Moon and the Sun for a drink of the elixir. But when Apsara Mohini (Lord Vishnu) came closer, the Moon and the Sun revealed that Asura Svarbhanu was a demon. However, till then, the devil had already sipped on the drink. So, Lord Vishnu immediately cut off his head, but since the demon had already swallowed a bit of the nectar, his head became immortal.

According to the story, the head is known as Rahu and the detached body is known as Ketu. The demon swore vengeance against the Moon and the Sun for depriving him of the elixir. So, as per the mythology Rahu keeps swallowing the Sun and the Moon, from time to time, but the incident doesn't last long as Rahu has no hands to grab onto these two celestial gods.

Hindu Rituals That Help Minimize Eclipse Effects

Rahu kaal is considered to be very inauspicious. As per Hindu Vedas, harmful agents are at play during eclipses and therefore, every action should be guided by utmost caution. Scientifically, absence of sun rays increases the amount of germs and bacteria in the atmosphere. Therefore, there are certain do’s and don’ts that must be followed.

During an eclipse, worshipping or touching gods is completely forbidden. Usually, in all temples, the doors are closed during the eclipse and once the phenomenon is over, the idols are washed with the sacred water of Ganga river to purify them. I followed the same at home. Once the eclipse was over, I took bath, put on fresh clothes, washed all the idols and oil lamps, and finally offered my prayers to God.

Pregnant women are considered to be susceptible to the evil forces during an eclipse. They should abstain from cutting vegetables or stitching clothes or even sitting with their legs crossed (as believed in my family).

No food is cooked during the eclipse and leftovers are finished a day before. I left Indian basil leaves or Tulsi in all the cooked food items so that the sacred leaves could help minimalize the eclipse effect. I was actually on a waterless fast, while the annular eclipse was in progress.

People in olden days, also forbid sleeping, urination, defecation, sexual intercourse and makeup during this natural phenomenon. They believed that chanting mantras, singing devotional songs and meditation helped reduce the evil effect.

When Eclipse is Over…

Taking bath in sacred Ganga river is supposed to counter the evil effects. Otherwise, people should take bath after the eclipse, and change into fresh & clean clothes. It is believed that the earth is plunged into darkness during an eclipse, which symbolizes impurity. Hence, sitting in one place and chanting the name of God is considered very good during the eclipse. Once it is over, light returns back to the earth and to rejoice, one has to cleanse the impurity that darkness brought. So, we should worship God and offer donations, if possible.

Superstition or No Superstition

The eclipse astrologically affects certain constellations and many Hindus do believe that this phenomenon affects their stars and their health. But for now, whatever I talk about eclipse other than astronomy, many people may consider it as a superstition.

However, the truth is Hindus have more than a 10,000 year of existence on earth and we have followed many practices since then. Science is gradually unravelling these mysteries which are considered as factual cultures and habits. As we all have witnessed that there is total obeisance to the age old traditions by Hindus. 

As for my belief in our age old traditions, I may not visit temples or chant mantras whole day, but I do fast and try to meditate for a while during the eclipse, just to feel my inner strength.

My First Christmas Tree – Building A Tradition

Thanksgiving came and went in a flash. Now, it’s time to wrap up our year, but not before my favourite Christmas tradition, doing the Christmas tree. This is my favourite time of the year, as it celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ and is all about celebrations, decorations, gifts, food, champagne and all things merry and bright.

While growing up, not every home on my street would put candles on their windows or deck a Christmas tree, during the holiday season. You see, I am from Punjab, India and I have never seen many Churches or anything resembling Christmas lights or Christmas tree decorations, when I was a kid.

But now my time to shine has come. I am a mother of a 4-year-old and I could not be more excited, as this would be the first ever Christmas tree decoration for me and my daughter. Our tree is going to be bright & shiny. And as long as my kid is all happy about decorations and celebrations, my Christmas spirit would be high.    

This is my first-ever tree, you bet your holly jolly ass because I had decided to go all out on the decorations, straight from bright lights, glittering ornaments and a bright snowman to shiny tinsel and Hanukkah. My shiny Christmas tree has it all. Decorating the tree was not just the favourite activity out of everything we did in the holiday season, but it was so much fun, especially for my kiddo. 

Additionally, I have been observing that Christmas trees get a strangely huge amount of attention and social discussion, both bad and good. Keeping this aside, my kid actively participated in ornamenting and wreathing the Christmas tree. I shared some stories from different cultures, and she loved listening about what different people believe about Christmas and the history.

The holiday season is a great time of year and this year, I have used it to build a tradition, to teach my little one about giving and being good, and for spending more time together as a family. As she will grow, I will keep the same approach of decorating our Christmas tree and answering questions about how and why others celebrate holidays differently.  

This year it has worked out great and my daughter loved our holiday fun. But I’m all set to answer her questions that next season would bring up. In every answer, I will find the best way to teach her about the love Christmas or holiday season brings in.