6 Reasons to Stay Positive During Coronavirus

There’s no denying that Covid-19, better known as Coronavirus, is wreaking havoc on the world at large. In addition to close to 200,000 known cases of the virus and over 7,000 deaths so far, the pandemic has sent a large portion of the world into lockdowns and quarantines, interrupting everyone’s lives — and our global economic framework.

But even in the worst of times, there’s a silver lining to every cloud. We’re doing our best to find that lining in the midst of all the chaos with 6 reasons to stay positive during Coronavirus.

6 Reasons to Stay Positive During Coronavirus

1. Our technology eases the pain. Imagine being in lockdown during the 1918 flu, without Netflix, Seamless, and FaceTime. Even the SARS outbreak of 2003, gave us a technological landscape that was a lot more limited than it is today. (Remember texting with T9 and when Netflix was a DVD delivery service?) Not only do we have the luxury of streaming services to keep us occupied in quarantine, apps like FaceTime and Whatsapp keep us more connected than ever, easing the pain of social distancing. For people with busy schedules and long-distance friends, the near-global lockdown may even provide a new opportunity to catch up with old friends.
   Quarantine Tip: Schedule at least one call with a friend per day. Even if it’s only 30 minutes, it will help you reconnect and stay sane.
2. We’re better equipped to work. The technological advances of our time aren’t just saving our sanity in quarantine. They may also be helping to save our economy from a complete meltdown. While it’s true that things aren’t looking great at the moment, they could be much, much worse. Many companies and industries already use cloud-based workplace productivity tools such as Zoom, Slack, and the entire Gsuite. This means that shifting workforces to a remote model has taken a much smaller toll on many companies than it otherwise would have. Whereas even ten years ago, a global lockdown may have caused a complete standstill of the economy, today, many companies are able to keep pushing (almost) full speed ahead.
   Quarantine Tip: Finding the humor in things helps. Open a slack channel for all your favorite Coronavirus memes and social posts about working from home.
3. We already have Bitcoin. The market crash of 2008 made us lose our faith in how banks and governments handle our money. And rightly so: when the housing market tanked, the big banks proved they couldn’t be trusted to do the right thing, and governments showed they were only interested in bailing out the giants. That loss of faith led to the development of Bitcoin as an alternative to government-backed currency. In the decade since its invention, Bitcoin has earned its title as a global currency that’s by the people and for the people, and has acted as a safe-haven asset in times of turmoil. Why is that a silver lining in the Coronavirus cloud? As markets tumble again and governments start bailing out big industries, we don’t have to wait for someone to invent Bitcoin. We already have it — and several other cryptocurrencies — to save the day.
   Quarantine Tip: Take advantage of your time to educate yourself about the role governments play in controlling your economy, and how crypto can be your path to financial freedom.
4. We may be saving the planet. Several weeks ago, an aerial map of China went viral, showing that the lockdown of Wuhan and the virus’s overall effect on Chinese industry was having an extraordinarily positive effect on the level of air pollution. Considering that until Coronavirus showed up, our biggest global threat was climate change, if we come out of the pandemic alive, the virus may end up being something to celebrate. The benefits aren’t just limited to China, either. With planes grounded and global travel practically at a standstill, overall carbon emissions are lower. And in Italy, which is currently on complete lockdown, the Venice Canal is clear and people are seeing a vast improvement in air quality. If nothing else, this downtime has really highlighted the environmental impact we’re making. So while Coronavirus may not actually be Mother Earth’s revenge, she’s probably smiling right now.
   Quarantine Tip: Eventually we’ll all come out of quarantine. Start thinking now about what changes you can make to your routines in order not to erase the positive impact this time has had on our planet.
5. More “Me time.” Proponents of working from home will tell you that when you take commuting out of the equation, you suddenly gain more time to yourself. For people whose commute to work is an hour each way, that’s ten hours a week that can be used for something else, whether it’s reading a book, practicing yoga, or even making a home-cooked breakfast. While isolation may feel like a drastic way to build in more “me time,” try to embrace it and engage in some self-care.
   Quarantine Tip: With ten extra hours a week, now is the time to catch up on your reading.
6. We’re all in it together. We may be practicing social distancing but we’re all experiencing the same thing at the same time, and there’s something incredibly special about that. Last week, Italians were making music in unison. This week the world is sharing home-schooling tips, offering to bring groceries to neighbors, and finding new ways to connect. And while different countries are taking slightly different approaches to combating the virus, when is the last time you remember the whole world coming together like they are now? There’s already been a lot of heartbreak and fear, and we know there will be more. But despite that, Coronavirus is a good reminder that we are all human, and all living in the same world.
   Quarantine Tip: Connect with your global self by finding tips to survive quarantine from people around the world. You never know: Estonians may have just the idea you need to stay sane.

With so much uncertainty and no clear idea of how long the pandemic will last, it’s easy to get sucked into a vortex of fear and insanity. But even in the most difficult times, we think finding the good will help us all get through it.