1. APPRECIATE & BE VOCAL ABOUT IT– there is no doubt that women have taken the maximum brunt of the work load at home in this pandemic. Many of them are working themselves, doing all the household chores in the absence of house help, looking after the elders and kids and pandering to the demands of extra cups of tea etc. just because everyone is around. Have you invested in the luxury of appreciating their efforts? If you are truly thankful, are you vocal about it? It is not only important to say ‘thank you’ but to elaborate on what you are thankful for. A simple line like,” Thank you for managing your work and the extra work at home so beautifully. You make it look so effortless and do it with a smile”…. or something to that effect, may seem something very small but is a huge investment in enjoying your new luxury.
2. ATTITUDE OF GRATITUDE– There are millions who have lost their jobs and loved ones. You and me are still enjoying our 3 meals, have a roof over our head and have enough to meet our basic needs. Agreed we have nowhere to flaunt our Sabyasachi belts and clutches…lets instead clutch on to these moments of precious togetherness as there are many who did not even have the luxury of saying a last good bye to their loved ones. Let’s learn to be grateful for simply being healthy. Yes, ‘ attitude of gratitude’ is the need of the hour.
3. EVERYONE NEEDS SPACE– The 24×7 proximity is beginning to breed toxicity. Suddenly this luxury of continuous proximity is not in demand. The complaints of need of togetherness have changed to need for personal space. There is nothing wrong with having your own space. Even a honeymoon gets over. So, designate a few hours for yourself. Infact, discipline those hours into a routine- reading, music, learning- this way people around you understand your ‘ me ‘ time and do not make you feel guilty for it and are vocal about having their own space too. Luxury is understanding each other’s silence. It is time to invest in the luxury of your own meaningful space and you don’t have to be dressed in Chanel to do so.
4. INVEST QUALITY TIME IN YOUR RELATIONSHIPS– The Almighty has actually given us time to see our parents age gracefully, our children grow from strength to strength, to know their dreams. When was this possible before the pandemic? We were always running against time. Now is the time to get together as a family, have at least one meal together. Whatever happened to those endless games of cards and the evergreen ‘ Antakshari’! Why can’t we have a family time, where no one uses the phone or a laptop or even doing a simple evening prayer together. Let’s bring the Luxury of bonding the old and the young, right into our very homes.
5. AGREE TO DISAGREE– Everyone has a view point, simply because we are all individuals. Life is not a mathematical equation, where everything is either ‘Right’ or ‘ Wrong’. What may appear as a 6 from your end, may appear like a 9 from the other. So, make a conscious effort to agree to disagree. The attitude of ‘ My way or the Highway’ has no place in the luxurious environment of love and camaraderie.
6. RESPOND DO NOT REACT– Luxury is always laid back and is never enjoyed in a hurry. So is the difference between responding and reacting. Reacting is common place, Responding is true luxury. Responding also demands investment in ‘ Listening’ and not simply ‘ Hearing’ your loved ones. When you listen, you drop everything else, have ears only for your loved ones, you acknowledge, nod and reach out with empathy and hence you indulge in the luxury of responding which in turn increases emotional bonding. Listening and Responding were two luxuries where we never had enough ‘ Time’ balance in our ‘ Time’ account to invest. Now you have enough deposits to invest in this luxury.
7. BE ASSERTIVE NOT AGGRESSIVE– Months of being locked in is making us irritable which is leading to unnecessary aggression. Remember, we are investing in luxury and luxury is never loud, so can aggression be luxurious? Tame your aggression to become assertive. Learn to make your point firmly but not rudely. For e.g., older kids are getting up late and mothers are pandering to their meal times at odd hours. Instead of shouting and threatening, assert yourself. Tell them breakfast will be available till 9.30 am or whatever is your family time and after that they will have to fend for themselves for their morning meal. You have asserted yourself by telling them that they need to follow rules or manage on their own but you have not been in their face about it. Luxury is always subtle yet its subtlety asserts its presence. Be luxurious with your assertiveness.
8. A HUG A DAY KEEPS THE COMPLAINING BUG AWAY– Remember the Mehrabian theory of the value of words being only 7%? Then why don’t we use body language and specifically the element of a ‘ hug’. It is sad that children do not see their parents hugging very often, hence do not know the value of it. Hug your parents, your kids, your spouse in this luxurious new environment. It is a master stroke which replaces hundreds of words. Truly a hug a day can drive the bug of complaints away…. indulge luxuriously in it.

Just imagine you are given 86400/ every day to spend but whatever you do not use cannot be stored or deposited. What will you do? You will spend every Rupee wisely to gain the maximum out of it. Similarly, we are given the luxury of enjoying these 86,400 seconds every day in the most laid-back way. Are you investing wisely in the New Luxury??