We are living in the kind of time one only sees in Sci-Fi movies as an unrealistic, alternate reality. Yet, starring in this bizarre film isn’t at all fun and games, and neither is it glitzy or glamorous. It is a never ending series of pyjamas, procrastination, and pigging out. Given the situation, it’s easy to lose your mind and take on an unmotivated, slug-like existence. Anxiety, depression and lethargy are common symptoms in those of us who are untouched by Covid-19, but still impacted by it. The challenge in this lockdown life is to maintain our physical and mental well-being without gyms to go to, or girls’ nights out to unwind at.
But I’d like to stop here and take a minute to appreciate a wonderful gift we have – the internet. Even though it might not seem like after your fourth straight hour of Netflix from the couch, there is a whole (web) world outside of Netflix and YouTube that just could be our saviour. If you suddenly have a lot of free time on your hands and are looking to go back to learning, there are a ton of wonderful resources available online.
I’m sure we’ve all heard of Coursera and Udemy (some of us probably even groaned at the thought of studying again!). These platforms don’t only offer courses on coding and math, but they also cover a host of other topics. No matter where your interests lie – whether you’re looking to try a new workout class, understand food and nutrition better, or get a step closer to psychological peace, you’ll probably find something for you. The best part – most of the courses I’m going to tell you about are free or with a minimal pinch to the pocket!
Let’s start with Physical well-being, because we all need to take care of our bodies – with what we eat, as well as how much we move and sweat.
Sit Less, Get Active
This free course is offered by the University of Edinburgh on Coursera’s platform and teaches you how to do exactly what it says – sit less, and get active. Even in a pre-Covid world, most of us work at a desk (which, in lockdown life, translates to the bed) and sit in one place for a large part of the day. The instructors in this course help you monitor your own activity levels and help you set achievable goals of physical activity. It starts with a survey each student has to fill out about their physical activity levels, and then you will be taught how to incorporate more activity in various settings. This is a great first step into actively being more active now, and continue that even later when life goes back to normal!
Science-Based Bodyweight Workout: Build Muscle Without A Gym
This course helps you turn any corner of your home into a gym, and the only equipment you need is your own body! It starts with beginner workouts and slowly helps you increase your strength and agility. The course also includes a nutritionist who helps explain the correlation of the exercises with what you eat, and debunks fitness myths. This course is available on Udemy for Rs. 370 for a limited period and can help you get started on your fitness journey from your room itself!
Stanford Introduction to Food & Health
Now that we are all cooking up a storm in the kitchen, this course is even more relevant than it ordinarily would be. This course helps you understand which foods are actually beneficial to your health and in which situations. A lot of us become prey to fad diets like the Caveman or Keto without really understanding if it will actually help us. This course clears any doubts you have and also strongly pushes for a return to simple home cooking (ironic, right?). The course is available for free on Coursera and is conducted by professors from Stanford University.
Working out and eating nourishing meals takes care of our physical selves, but we also need to support our emotional and mental wellbeing. So, here’s a few suggestions for classes to boost yourself a little more psychologically.
The Science of Well-Being
Yale University offers this free course on Coursera to enable us to understand what makes us happy. Most of the time, we mispredict what invokes joy in us and act according to those misconceived predictions. In this course, you will not only receive the tools to analyse and capitalise on sources of genuine happiness, but also how to disarm the negative side of the brain so you can optimise your peace of mind in any situation (something we all need a little more of these days).
Psychological First-Aid
To begin with, I absolutely love the name of this course. It already gives you a good idea of what it’s trying to teach. Johns Hopkins University is a brand when it comes to almost anything related to healthcare and medicine, so you know you’re getting the best possible information. This free course on Coursera teaches you techniques to deal with psychological emergencies and even touches upon self-care. This class is not only helpful for the learner, but also for those around because it allows you to recognise when someone needs help and how to provide it.
Mind Control: Managing Your Mental Health During COVID-19
If Covid-19 has got you feeling blue, it should be a great indication that you’re not alone if University of Toronto had to come up with a course dedicated to this. Isolation is hard and this course acknowledges it and helps you understand why. It also attempts to equip you with the means to combat the anxiety and depression that is natural given the circumstances. It also has a module that is dedicated to the art of relaxation. This course too is available free of cost on Coursera.
This is one of the greatest challenges the world has faced as a whole. We have to make sure we dont let ourselves go – physically or psychologically, and for that, we have to use the resources available to stay sane. Everyone always says that when you look back at a bad situation, you will laugh at it, but the countdown to the end of this crisis hasn’t even begun. We have to ensure that whenever this unrealistic reality-movie finishes shooting, we all show up to the premiere as our best selves. We are like an ensemble cast – all in this alone, but together. But I know we will all come out of this as winners, because if there’s one thing the best movies have taught us it’s that the good guys always win!
Written by Sanskriti Jhunjhunwala
Sanskriti is an education consultant, helping students explore potential careers and guiding them through the college application process. Writing is her second passion, and a stress buster. Other loves include Mexican food and sushi, and traveling is what she looks forward to the most.
