The lockdown, if anything, tends to make you more introspective—about life, people, and all the experiences that you've had, could have had or couldn't. So much so, that this writer, in the last few weeks, has often felt bogged down by these thoughts. Blame it on having too much time, or too little human contact, but everyone has suddenly become a thinker.

A new book by mystic Om Swami, The Big Questions of Life (HarperCollins India), might then, just be the guide you need to ease through this period of isolation. We must admit it's only recently that we've warmed to self-help books. Ikigai: The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life and The Book of Ichigo Ichie were game-changers, for us. Om Swami's book is not very different.