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Heena Sidhu’s lockdown advice: Let’s focus on what we’re doing rather than finding faults in others or the government
The ace shooter believes in taking each day as it comes, and hopes people stop fretting over the future.
Professional shooter Heena Sidhu hits the bullseye when she says people need to “cut the umbilical cord connecting thought and reality” by concentrating on the present rather than worrying about the future amid the Covid-19 crisis. And to make the present better for those in need, Sidhu is doing her bit. Apart from taking care of her home staff and coaches at her shooting academy, she and friends have donated for and campaigned to raise money to make face shields for doctors tending to infected patients.
The 30-year-old, who is passionate about wildlife, is also doing her bit to uplift the condition of forest guards, who she points out, are in a “condition even worse than daily wage workers”.
”They aren’t directly employed by government, and the tips from tourists aren’t happening right now. Their lives are always in danger. They often end up losing their lives saving the forest and animals from poachers, fires… I would urge everyone to help them,” says Sidhu, who became the first Indian pistol shooter to win a gold medal in an ISSF World Cup finals in 2013.
She understands that the lockdown is taking a toll on people’s mental health, but her solution lies in taking “each day as it comes”. ”I wake up early, exercise, do daily chores, spend time with my husband and read. It’s very important to sleep on time, and cut down on your screen time. Exercising releases dopamine. It’s healthy for your body and brain. It’s addictive too, try it,” she urges.
While a lot of people are spending time online for entertainment, Sidhu feels that the moment they are out of it, reality hits hard. “Why are we thinking about our future. Do we have any control over it? Right now, it’s happening in your head, and it makes you feel powerless. What you are thinking hasn’t happened yet... it might. Let’s accept the present. You need to cut the umbilical chord connecting thought and reality,” she adds.
Is she worried about the future of sports events considering many have been cancelled or postponed? She says, “Sports is enjoyed when we have a free mind... Right now the situation is totally different. Let us get back to our normal life first. We can think about everything else later,” she adds.
Talking about the other issues that the society is currently facing -- be it rise in domestic violence against women and children, and social media trolls against cricketers Harbhajan Singh and Yuvraj Singh who made an appeal to help Pakistanti cricketer Shahid Afridi’s efforts towards the Covid-19 cause in his country -- Sidhu feels “we’re programmed to do” certain things.
“Pointing fingers doesn’t help. Everybody is fighting their own battle. It’s like a Poker game; every country has its own cards and everyone is trying to find a way out… We should concentrate on what we’re doing rather than finding faults in others or with the government,” she ends.
