Skills I have been Investing In During This Quarantine (and what I am discovering from them)

(makeshift work area)

It’s no surprise that this pandemic has impacted our lives in a significant manner. Be it a shift to work from home, or re-constructing a new routine to cope, it has influenced me greatly on a variety of levels:

Physical Health: Less physical activity due to reduction in commuting (walking, taking public transport etc).

Mental Health: Increased frequencies of overthinking, anxiety and the pressure to stay productive.

Career: Huge pay cut.

Before the quarantine, I was constantly on the move. As a freelance dance artist, I have to commute frequently from one venue to another. When rehearsals are underway, I would sometimes return home late at night as rehearsals finished at 11pm. I feel that freelancers might empathise with this, as my motto was “gotta get there if I want to get paid!” I would listen to audiobooks on Audible whilst commuting and investing time in relationships (career, familial, social and myself).

During this quarantine, I have been taking the time to slow down and invest in skills that I find useful, which is why I want to write this post. This post has a selfish motive behind it, and that is to track my progress. I want to take this opportunity to explore and discover what can benefit me in the long run.

Currently, I am teaching online classes from the comfort of my living room. I am very grateful to have a good following of people that believe and supports in what I do. The effort that I have invested in my external relationships has paid off, but what about my internal relationship?

Recently, I have been reflecting and digging deeper into what my goals and aspirations were. I am asking myself necessary questions like:

Have they changed? What has changed? What’s at stake? What’s worth investing? Does it satisfy you?

To explore my internal landscape further, I have been investing my time and effort in skills that are timeless - meditation and writing. These skills have been my bedrock. Right now, I have the space, time, resources and necessary effort in order to gain clarity in myself during this period of uncertainty in my external environment.

This piece of expressive writing is not aimed at providing you with information. I write with the intention of sharing my own reflections on a space that I associate with growth and development. In this case, it is my website.

Investment #1 - Writing

“Clear writing is a sign of clear thinking”

A skill that I have been investing in, which some of you might know, is writing. Aside from using the medium of writing to deliver information, I have been using it to promote self-discovery. Here’s my implementation:

Whenever I feel an inspiration to write a post, I will have a few sheets of paper beside my laptop. I will begin brainstorming with a topic in mind on the sheets of paper, and that usually kickstarts my flow. Whenever I begin writing, I spend an average of 2-3 hours per day to write, revise and refine. After 3 days, when I feel that this writing is ready, I will share it on my website or other platforms including Medium, LinkedIn and SpaceCuboid.

Why do I write? To me, writing is an alternate form of expression that I am able to play with despite not being very good at it. In order for me to be an effective and clear communicator, I need to learn how to have clarity in my thoughts. This will benefit my relationships and work in the long term, so it is definitely a skill worth investing in.

Writing is self-therapy.

1.1 - Journaling

I have begun adopting daily journaling each night before I go to sleep. However, unlike high school journaling, I specifically note down my inner thoughts and feelings, as well as details pertaining to a certain situation that I want to remember.

“Writing is the only way I have to explain my own life to myself.” - Pat Conroy

For example: If I feel particularly irritated or find myself overthinking, I will unpack it in my journal. I will write free form and let my thoughts guide my pen. Using this opportunity to take stock, and reflect on what I have written is a great mirror to my subconscious.

What I have discovered from Writing:

• Gain clarity in my train of thoughts

• Shine a light on my inner subconscious that I may not express verbally

• Staying as honest as I can with my feelings and thoughts

• Eliminates stress

• Gaining awareness of my reality: keeping me grounded and realising myself.

• Overcoming tough moments faster - journaling, goal-setting etc

My New Year’s Resolution is just simply one word: honesty. As I let my thoughts flow, the words surface without me giving it too much effort. The body contains the information that we have gathered and releasing it onto the paper in the human language of words.

Investment #2 - Meditation

Meditation is also self-therapy. Except you are not paying a therapist to hear you ramble, but you listening within to yourself.

This is one of the hardest skills to master, and it takes a lifetime of learning and practice. In the great words of Naval Ravikant, meditation is “the art of doing nothing”. By going on this journey, you are on the path to achieving peace.

Why have I decided to take up meditation? I have always struggled with picking up meditation in the past. But as I find myself in a slightly more anxious, overthinking and uncertain state, I needed to force myself to calm down.

My routine is really simple - I meditate for 5 mins each time after I wake up. My mind has the most clarity and energy in the mornings, and I lie down on my bed, with my eyes closed and just do nothing. It is one of the hardest things to do. As a society, we are so conditioned to be on the move and be productive, that it seems counter-intuitive to just sit. Just plainly sitting…

What I have discovered from Meditation:

• It allows me to detach from issues, hence gaining clarity on what’s on my mind.

• It sets me in a much calmer state of mind and being. (when I broke my routine for a couple of days, I noticed the changes almost instantly)

• Helps me to make better decisions for myself.

• It forces me to listen and be kind to myself.

• It is hell. But with each practice, I get more accustomed and familiar with it.

• Allows me to witness my internal landscape - emotions, mental stresses, personal development.

Currently, I am using a 5-min Guided Meditation on Headspace to help me begin this process. It is a great app to keep track of your progress. Subsequently, I will depart from the audio and sit with myself. Whatever happens, happens.

Through the investment of these two skills, I know that it will be worth the process of self-discovery. It is painful, and at times cathartic. Purging all of these repressed emotions and thoughts is not pretty. But I truly believe that it is important that by going through both the good and the ugly, that I am able to embrace myself.

A human.

Just simply being.