Living in shared accommodation like PGs and hostels is often preferred by newcomers to a city as it provides a vibrant and safe environment to stay with like-minded people, grow together, and even make new friends. But with the ongoing pandemic, life is in limbo for most PG occupants. Some people have gone back home to weather the situation with their family, while others are staying in isolation and maintaining all social distancing precautions in their PGs. But as we trundle towards the end of the year, the lockdown-induced loneliness and long stretches of solitude are having a negative impact on mental and physical health. Despite living in a city like Bangalore, which is known for its hangout spots and cultural hubs, most social activities here are at an all-time low due to the COVID-19 situation. If you are feeling blue because you are living alone in a PGs in Bangalore, here are a few tips to keep away the gloom and bring some cheer into your life.
1- Maintain a schedule
While this might sound like the least fun activity ever, following a daily routine can be quite helpful for your well-being. Maintaining a schedule should ideally involve your work/study schedule, meal plans, time for physical exercise as well as time for a hobby/ for self-care/for relaxation. We know it is tough to stay motivated and productive, especially in the current situation but sticking to a planned day will help you keep away complacency and give you a feeling of achievement. This also allows you to compartmentalize your daily activities according to priority and deliberately create time for doing the things you love.
2- Keep track of your meals
Ideally, if you are living in a properly managed paying guest accommodation, your meals should be taken care of. Accommodation managed by professional organizations ensure homely meals especially catered for the guests’ palates. But despite the food arrangements, it is your job to keep track of your meals and make time to have them. It has been noted that people living alone tend to be careless about their meals, skip a meal, or binge, which can lead to several health problems. Eating a well-balanced diet is very important. In well-managed accommodation like Stanza Living, with scrumptious dishes waiting for you at every meal, eating regular meals should not be a problem. Overeating, however, is a different matter altogether.
3- Socialize
Social distancing is the need of the hour but interacting with those who live around you is essential for a balanced life. Complete isolation can lead to claustrophobic irritability and restlessness; conditions that seriously affect one’s happiness. Apart from your friends and family, talking to those in your immediate surroundings can be quite therapeutic and cathartic since you are sharing similar living conditions. So, most professionally managed PGs have designated areas for residents to interact with each other; these areas are generally meant for recreational activities. These days, managed accommodation companies have even developed special rules around common-space usage, focusing on social distancing, limited people in a common area to avoid crowding, regular sanitization of all frequently touched surfaces, etc to maintain high hygiene standards. They are also organizing social activities creatively to keep residents engaged – music sessions, dance face-offs, quiz shows, etc – are all done virtually and safely.
Living alone in a PG is not easy but just like everything else, you can ease into it. Allowing yourself some time to get used to new living conditions is essential. The pandemic has forced isolation on the entire globe and while most people would rather be with their family, living alone can be bearable if your living conditions are hygienic and cheerful. A professionally managed PG space, which takes care of all your needs like cooking, cleaning, and laundry along with providing amenities like power backup, security, air-conditioning, and the internet, goes a long way in creating peace and happiness, just like home.
thse must be followed by anyone before opt PG