The year was horrible. I got Covid-19. Living alone, I had to manage everything by myself, from food to medicines.

After things settled down, I tried distracting myself by doing little things, such as gardening. I got myself some plants. It was therapeutic to watch them grow as I took care of them. It was that feeling of taking control of something as life around was going haywire.

Another thing that helped calm me down were old television shows. To me, it was like catching up with old friends. As I rewatched them all, I felt like a child hiding under her blanket, waiting for the ghosts to go away.

Lastly, parks. Going there in the afternoon, watching people relax in their own ways became my favourite past time.

In the news and life around me, all I saw were worried faces, helplessness. In the park, it was the opposite. I observed people as they enjoyed naps, meals and conversations with friends. I stayed there, sitting on a bench, soaking in the moments of calm around me, regaining some sanity.

Read all the articles in the Comfort zone series here.