From Ukulele to Paintbrush: How Young Indians Relied on Themselves to Beat Lockdown Blues

Sometimes all it takes is an adversity to bring out that creativity and self-care in one’s own way — the Atmanirbhar way! I had forgotten how satisfying and calming holding the paintbrush was,” recalls Debolina, adding, “It’s been two months since I started painting again. “Thanks to the pandemic, from setting small goals including the task of perfecting the Shirshasana to focussing more on breathing techniques and meditation, Yoga has not only improved my body flexibility, but also makes me feel more connected to my mind and body - spiritually.” Although initially Anoushka’s body would feel tight and dull, a constant encouragement without being too hard on herself, eventually brought about a long-lasting change. So this pandemic gave me ample time to work out, and even though I'd been thinking of doing that for a couple of years now, I never really managed any time for myself,” tells the 22-year-old student from Kolkata adding, “Initially it felt pretty exhausting and my muscles screamed. “I was initially embarrassed that my reading speed was only 300 words per minute,” she chuckles adding, ”I want to Despite having their minds all over the place, it’s been great to see how people have found ways to captivate them in activities, which have eventually become hard to put down.