A Silver Lining in the Coronavirus Pandemic
It’s a challenging and uncertain time right now. Every social media channel I turn on people are discussing the coronavirus. Each day the number of covid-19 cases in the U.S. is going up. As of March 15th, we’re at over 3000 cases in 49 states. You can’t go to the store without shelves completely empty of household items. People are scared, worried, and wondering what’s going to happen next.
It’s difficult to focus on productivity when you’re concerned about your and your family’s safety. I get it. Last week I went into my regular office once. Another day I worked from an alternative office, where it’s much less crowded. The rest of the week I either telecommuted or took time off in order to reduce my risk.
Our entire school district is closed for the next few weeks, which means my son will be home. The university I teach at has closed all campus classes. All courses are going virtual, which means I need to figure out how I will teach my students through a virtual platform. All my conferences are canceled. Social gatherings have been canceled.
But in midst of the turmoil, there is a silver lining if we choose to see it. The American standard has been to go-go-go. Along with working long hours in jobs that many are miserable in, some of us commute long distances, end up eating out often, are often too tired to exercise, and barely make it home in time to spend an hour with our kids before it’s time for bed. Weekends are consumed with laundry, cleaning, grocery shopping, and maybe catching a few extra winks of sleep until we start the whole cycle over again on Monday.
But right now, we’re being forced to slow down and innovate. We have an opportunity to use this time to pause, reflect, and possibly even re-shift our priorities. We can use this time to learn new skills, get to know our children or partners better, and take care of ourselves while we practice social distancing.
Introverts all over are secretly glad they finally have a good reason for not attending their cousin’s kid’s first birthday party.
Micro-managers are being forced to allow their staff to telecommute, which means their theory that “we just can’t collaborate remotely” is going to be debunked. There are many platforms out there like Slack, Zoom, Jabber, Trello, or Asana that make virtual team collaboration possible. It will, however, require a shift in mindset and the way in which we measure effectiveness.
Companies who have fought against flexible and remote employee work schedules are going to realize how much they could save from reducing their overhead costs, while getting the same amount of work done.
Consumers who normally spend their weekends at shopping malls may realize they don’t really need all the gadgets, clothes, and other stuff they clutter up their homes with.
People who normally are careless about hand hygiene are washing their hands more frequently and stocking up on hand sanitizer. This not only reduces the spread of covid-19, but also many other diseases.
There’s no use in worrying or living in fear of the unknown.
This virus is going to run its course. It will likely get worse before it gets better. All we can do is take precautions to stay safe and make the best use of this time. Don’t let it go to waste.
I’m already seeing parents planning at home activities with their kids while schools are closed. Telecommuting is allowing people to re-purpose their commute times to exercise, make healthy meals, or organize their homes. The cancellation of social gatherings is giving people an excuse to stay home and rest. People are signing up for online classes and virtual conferences to learn new skills.
Personally, I’m using this time to build up competencies that I knew I needed a long time ago but didn’t have the time to learn before. For example, I’m speeding up my learning curve with the online meeting platform Zoom. I’ve been using Zoom to do video conferencing, but now I will be using it to run a virtual classroom. I’m learning how to use break out rooms so I can divide my students into groups for different exercises. Just in the last few days, I’ve read 2 books, written an article, started a website, and purchased a couple online courses that I plan to complete over the next few weeks.
I encourage you to use this time to improve your life. Refocus your energy from “What’s going to happen next?” to “What can I do right now to become better?” Think about the things you’ve been putting off. You can use this time to become even stronger — physically, mentally, and emotionally.
Here are a few ideas.
1. Move your body — Go for walks, dance, cook, garden, play with your children.
2. Read — Dust off a book that’s been sitting on your shelf. Immerse yourself in it.
3. Take an online class — Develop a new skill that will give you a professional edge.
4. Learn a new hobby — Do something fun just for yourself.
5. Network virtually — Reach out to acquaintances and do virtual coffee chats.
6. Spend time with loved ones — Find an activity you can do at home with your family.
7. Reflect — Ask yourself how satisfied you are in different areas of your life.
8. Set new goals — Reassess where you’ve been headed, and where you want to go next.
9. Organize your home — Get rid of what you don’t need anymore and simplify your life.
10. Help someone — Think about who you could help right now. Maybe you could pick up few extra groceries for an elderly neighbor.
How are you remaining positive and making the best use of your time? Like, comment and share your thoughts so we can all support, encourage, and lift each other up during this challenging time.
Stay safe and healthy.
