Heráclito Everson Biscaia Filho does morning exercises at home. Courtesy of the interviewee
Working from home, cooking healthy food, cleaning the house, studying Chinese, Thai boxing, yoga, doing crafts or drawings, taking daily nucleic acid tests ... for Brazilian Heráclito Everson Biscaia Filho and his wife Fu Ling, life can also be fun in lockdown if you spice it up a little.
When the 42-year-old Brazilian, who prefers to be called Hera, first heard that the city would be placed under seven-day lockdown starting March 14, he was concerned about the constraints of moving around and gaining weight easily by staying at home.
As a result, Hera devised a daily to-do list in order to avoid boredom, with each day planned down to the detail.
“With the routine set, there was no escape,” Hera said. “I must follow all the tasks no matter how horrible they were, like studying Chinese or cleaning the areas of the house I kept postponing since I never had time to do them during my daily routine or they took a long time to complete.”
As the days passed, Hera became aware of the amount of tasks that demanded discipline and dedication while also keeping his mind occupied. “There is no time for complaining or whining; all that matter is that everything gets done,” he told Shenzhen Daily.
Hera stressed that being positive every day was part of the process. While undergoing nucleic acid tests, he would show his gratitude to all the staff and try to express his gratitude in those few minutes he had the chance to interact with them.
“Keep positive thoughts and try to develop new skills and practice the old ones we haven’t forgotten also helps,” Hera said, adding that checking in on friends, giving them a call, cheering them up, and limiting social media time can be important to alleviate frustration.
Hera said he exercises at least an hour per day to keep the body and mind active and healthy, and an excellent night of sleep is also necessary to restore one’s energy.