Edited By: Harshita Bedi
Ashoka isn’t exactly a wellness retreat when it comes to looking after yourself and leading a calm, white-linen-leather-sandal existence.
As someone who fits in remarkably well with the geriatric lot, the whole bustling, starving artist, hippie liberal arts student thing tends to get tiring quite fast.
I love donning tie-dye and consuming nothing but sugar and caffeine in a sleep-deprived blur while I simultaneously try and juggle 4 assignments, two cups of coffee, and a chicken kulcha.
But at the end of the day, the sensible old lady in me kicks in and urges me to chill out, slow down and eat some daal sabzi.
The thing about most retired people is that they have their shit figured out.
They’ve hustled through their younger days and worked consistently through their middle age to get to where they are now. (I’m good at making sweeping statements with limited context, but this has proven apt so far)
They must have some kind of formula, some secret routine to sustain their energies and prevent themselves from oscillating between hyper-productivity and 3-day Netflix binges.
I love old people. I am as I have been frequently told-more of an old person than most old people.
I give you, a carefully compiled list of awesome old people habits that will help you have a less neurotic journey at Ashoka – take notes.
1. “Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise”
I love a good old male-centric phrase! This one seems fairly obvious but is in fact the hardest to maintain at Ashoka. Try it sometime. Crash before 3 am and wake up by 8. Keep it simple and sustainable instead of claiming you’ll crash at 10 pm and be up at 4 am to watch the Sonepat Sunrise. You’d be surprised at how much more human you feel waking up before noon.
2. “A boiled chicken a day keeps the cholesterol at bay”
As dorky as this one sounds, it’s true. I’m not telling you to completely stop eating anything that is remotely flavorful but it wouldn’t hurt to give your digestive system a little break. Every once in a while just eat normal, nondeep fried, fresh home-cooked ( mess cooked?) food.
It doesn’t look that appetizing, and it’s fun to complain about, and yes, food poisoning is a thing… But who knows? You might surprise yourself and get through an entire dish of chicken curry without witnessing the crunchy horror of a dead fly!Â
Go on, check your horoscope, and if the stars align, take the plunge! Brave the mess and come out healthier! (maybe)
3. “Put the idiot box away”
Stop scrolling through Instagram on a loop, and delete Snapchat, it’s for pre-teens.
Switch off and unplug.
Read something. Anything!
Most people think that they have to be reading something artsy or intellectual to have an enriching reading experience, but the true joy of reading comes with picking up the trashiest Mills and Boons you can find and devouring it in a single sitting.
Next time you feel all wired up and jittery, reach for a fun book or even the back of a cereal box if you’re really not into the whole lit thing. It’s a way better way to unwind and an awesome break from the usual Netflix binge.
4. “After lunch rest a while, after dinner walk a mile”
This one is my personal favorite. My great grandfather, an army general and an amazingly fit man even in his 90s taught me this.
You know that after-lunch lull that sets in when you’ve gone a little too hard on the biryani?
Stop fighting it, give in to the mellow sleepiness and take a nap in the afternoon if you really want to. If you time it well, you won’t wake up feeling like a hungover alien, squinting at the sun and wondering which year it is.
Sleep in the afternoon and go for a short walk after dinner. It’s pretty basic, awesome advice.
5. “Stop to smell the roses beta!“
Stop moving so fast!
I’m not telling you to slow down into absolute sloth mode but you don’t have to zip through life in a manic frenzy either. We just got here.
Exhale.
We have time.
Enjoy every bite of your overpriced THC fries, and sip your milky oversweet fuel zone coffee instead of glugging it frantically…
Kick back, close your eyes and let the murky Sonepat sun set slowly upon you as you drift off into a calm, easy nap.
The sun is shiny, the birds are singy, and the air is blowy.
Notice it, breathe, and be okay with where you are.