Sitting at home can get monotonous and especially for the elderly who are denied their regular routine of walking and meeting other friends . Though the COVID19 lockdown rules have been eased, it is important for them to stay indoors as much as possible and not engage in the social daily activities for a little while longer. But how can  one manage to have a fruitful day while sitting at home? 

Here are a few tips on planning a fruitful day for our aging people at home till the COVID spread lowers;

1. Walk it off: Use the eased rules of lockdown for your own good but with total safety. Try and plan your early morning or late evening walks when the roads are comparatively less busy and with all the required safety protocols. Getting out in nature for walks even if they are for a short duration, around 15-20 minutes, will not only refresh your mind and body thanks to supply of clean oxygen and air but is also a good mood booster. Also, with age, the body needs bit of exercise so that you can sleep better at night and all the ancillary body functions work to their optimum.  

2 Complete and help: If you have a few chores that you do on a daily basis like tending to your hair, shower or be it attending to the holy rituals/puja, finish off your personal chores and then pitch in with household chores. It can be as simple as chopping vegetables, preparing the meal table or clearing the table after a meal and so on. This will help you lower the burden of the other family members and increase your interaction and bonding with them. Also, it will keep you occupied and away from negative thoughts and ideas.

3 Follow a NEWS diet:Just as you would follow a healthy diet, try and follow a NEWS diet where you schedule your intake of breaking news. By doing so, you save your time and energy and keep away from irrational negativity. Plan around 20 minutes in the morning and 20 in the evening to keep up with the updates but make sure you do not exceed the bar of that span as it might start making you feel anxious, wary and fearful too. 

4 Coordinate your readings and kids studies: As many people have the work-from-home schedule, you can plan your reading time around the children's homework time so that you can monitor them and let the parents off the hook. This will help you not only spend peaceful time with your grandchildren but also add up to a peaceful reading session without too many distractions. Also, pitch in taking care of the younger child while the parents do other household chores, or attending to small kid’s bath routine, helping them  get dresses etc. Remember it is not only bonding for you but also keeps you busy on these extreme long days. 

5 Make space for gardening or arts: Potting small plants or herbs to be maintained indoors or painting the pots can provide an afternoon’s diversion and keep you moving and active. You can also make slots for different activities that relax you like meditation, listening or creating music, watching movies, writing and so on. 

6 Work the brain:The human mind never stops learning. So while you are at home try and engage in different activities or play games with your grandchildren or family members that require you to engage and work your brain. You can do sudoku, crosswords and other puzzles online and ask the older children in the family to do it with you. This helps lower the stress and keep you mentally active and fresh also lowering the chances of memory loss diseases.