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… and so should you! If you are anything like me, then you would’ve also participated in household chores very reluctantly. Here’s why having a little more enthusiasm goes a long way.

Quarantine lock down has been a tough period for us all. Be it the feeling of being stuck inside or the little things that you took for granted and now miss, the lock down has been difficult for people in varying degrees. Like everyone else, I, too, yearn to go out and get my regular, busy life back.

However, as I’m stuck inside, getting the cleaning done in my house- be it jhadoo and pocha, doing the dishes and laundry, or sorting out stuff- has easily become one of my favourite things these days:

  1. Distracts You from the Fact that You Don’t, in fact, Have Your Life Together

It is a weird phase for all of us, where none of us are quite sure where we are going with our lives. Adding to that, this anxiety comes with the knowledge of not doing anything productive like you thought you were supposed to be doing. In times like these, life gets a little bit overwhelming and you might not know where to start.

But, fret not! Little tasks like sweeping the house or doing the dishes not only distract you from the fact that you don’t have it together (nor do you particularly need to, in these times) but also helps establish a routine to make you feel like you’re actually doing something productive and helpful for once. What’s more! You can do so while jamming to your favourite artists and getting groovy (which personally, does wonders to uplift my mood). And if you’re feeling a little educational, you can even do so while listening to your favourite podcasts.

  1. Gets You Some Exercise

When was the last time you actually got some exercise? If you are anything like me, it would’ve been when you were busy with your regular life. And like me, the lack of exercise would’ve now been hurting both your mental and physical health, but you wouldn’t have found the motivation to follow through with the exercise.

Guess what gives you an easy outlet to get your body moving? Doing Jhadoo and Pocha! It gets your muscles moving, stretches and bends our body, and builds up your endurance- all while getting some cleaning done. Talk about killing two birds with one stone.

Put on some peppy tunes to get you pumped up. And once you feel accomplished enough and get those endorphins racing, you could even move on to actually working out at home!

  1. Makes Your Parents Happy

If you don’t want to do it for yourself, do it for your parents.

Like all parents, mine nagged me all the time for not helping out enough- after which I did, but not without whining the whole time. Until I realized, if I do the task with a little more gusto, I not only finish the task very easily and definitely faster but also see my parents happy with me- which works in my favour a lot!

Helping your parents out with domestic work means they are happy with you, which in turn, means you are happy because you can now do what you want to without their piercing glare. Parents walk by as you skip the intro of that show for the 11th time? Guess what, you don’t have to see your parents eye you judgmentally and anticipate being told off because you’ve been a good kid who helped them out!

  1. Actually Cleans the House !?

Honestly, if nothing else motivates you, just do it for the sake of cleanliness.

You get to live in a clean house and not feel disgusting. As your house thrives, so does a little bit of you. It’s like showering and soaking in a bathtub, but for the house. Imagine not having crumbs and dust stick to your feet as you walk barefoot in the house on a hot summer day! or sleeping in sheets that look crisp and smell fresh instead of your crumpled, smelly one that’s long overdue a change!

Moreover, it gets you to finally adult and be prepared for the time when you move out of your nest!

My new favourite thing this quarantine is to clean my house and do the dishes because honestly, there’s no reason not to. Hopefully, now, it would be yours too!

Satviki Sanjay

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a clean sweep1

The World Collegiate Association for the Research of Principles (WCARP) in partnership with the Universal Peace Federation (UPF) held a massive Cleaning Campaign in and around heritage sites in New Delhi to commemorate the International Day of Climate Action on 24th October. In association with 350 and Indian Youth Climate Network (IYCN), this drive targeted areas of Red Fort, Qutab Minar and Tughlaqabad Fort. More than 650 students from colleges of DU, JNU and Jamia Milia Islamia pitched in to clean the areas surrounding these heritage sites.

Says Sandeep Kumar, President of WCARP, “This cleanliness drive was a huge success. We had never imagined that so many students would be interested. In fact, a group of students asked me to conduct such a drive for bus stops and railway platforms as well. I could see a spark in the youth of this country to outdo the authorities and make Delhi a cleaner place to live in. Some students were extremely enthusiastic and wanted to take on the responsibility of keeping these monuments clean.”

The students were provided with broomsticks, gloves, chemicals and brushes to effectively do their job for the day and were also given free T-shirts and refreshments. Most students found it to be a highly enjoyable experience. Medha, a student volunteer says, “It was a memorable and satisfying day. We could actually be a part of the change in this country. Moreover it was an enlightening experience for me as well. Though I’m a Delhiite, I didn’t know there are as many as 174 monuments in my city.”

a clean sweep2

The key message of this drive was to “avoid plastic” and change the mindset of the people. The positive response to the initiative has led to plans for a second such attempt. “Upon request by the students, another drive is being organized on the 19th of November, 2009 at Purana Quila.”, says Sandeep. “So everyone who believes in the cause and missed out on this drive has another opportunity to pro-actively help change their world, be it in a small way.”