Free once, expensive now: Mumbai nutritionist on 13 things that are a luxury now in our lives

There was a time when the most valuable things in life did not come with a price tag. Remember in our childhood when we used to sleep early and wake up energised, play with our friends till the sun set and enjoy delicious home-cooked meals? But in today’s world, such natural ways to have fun have slowly disappeared, with technology and fierce competition taking over. Busy with our professional lives, we forget to take out time for ourselves to indulge in our hobbies. Even children today are addicted to mobile phones, unaware that they are losing friends in the process.

A Mumbai-based nutritionist, associated with the International Sports Science Association (ISSA) company, has highlighted the issue in her latest X-post. The woman, Sanya Wadhera, has listed 13 fundamental things that have become a luxury today, putting the spotlight on the sad reality of the world we are living in.

Sleep

Sleeping schedules after a long day were once effortless, but now we tend to spend our time taking supplements, relying on sleep-tracking apps, buying premium mattresses, and even going to therapy just to secure seven uninterrupted hours of rest.

Mental Peace

A slower life with strong support systems, minus the rat race, used to give us peace of mind. But now, calm often comes at Rs 2,000 per therapy session, making mental health expensive.

Fitness

Our parents and grandparents stayed fit through daily movement and eating simple foods like rice and dal. On the other hand, we rely on a Rs 5,000 monthly gym membership and paying huge amounts to personal coaches for a healthy lifestyle.

Attention

Focus and concentration have started to become extremely difficult with the advent of technology, as every notification, reel, and algorithm competes for our attention.

Home-made meals

‘Ghar ka khana’ was once routine, once upon a time, when food delivery apps and 10-minute e-commerce services were still a foreign concept. But takeaways have become a part and parcel of our lives now.

A social life

Friendships and spontaneity were like two sides of the same coin. Today, meeting close friends and even childhood buddies requires calendar invites and weeks of planning.

Free time

Enjoying your free time was a default setting in the past. Now? We typically have to “block” the date on Google Calendar, similar to a high-priority meeting.

Kids playing outside

As kids, we used to return home with scraped knees after playing with our friends all evening. At present, however, Rs 3,000 activity classes replace free outdoor play.

Community

Community existed naturally in neighborhoods. Today, connection feels forced, and sometimes, we pay for coworking spaces as well as curated online groups because of no time for ourselves.

Job security

Our parents spend decades at one organisation, unlike us, who refresh LinkedIn every six months, as we mentally prepare for the next shift.

Energy in relationships

Emotional space after work was mandatory for couples earlier. Now, we are so burned out that it often replaces meaningful connections and honest conversations with our partners.

Stress-free retirement

Retirement was once equivalent to rest. Today, even retirement comes with a price, shadowed by financial anxiety and uncertainty.

Clean air

Breathing fresh air has also become a luxury, especially if you are living in a metro city. We are forced to buy air purifiers to inhale fresh air.