The truth of the matter is simple – this Coronavirus Pandemic simply sucks.
There is only so much Netflix you can watch before it’s boring. Zoom meetings about work and endless policy changes are more stressful then going into the office. Don’t forget, everyone has finances on the back of their mind too.
Needless to say, there are so many unknown, anxiety-producing factors that are making this unprecedented worldwide quarantine less than ideal.
All this to say – you will be OK and we will all get through this. In fact, the quarantine induced by COVID-19 might just be the jump start we all need, so long as we make the most of it!
1. Mindset
Now is the time to finally get your head screwed on straight, for lack of better words.
The first week of the Coronavirus quarantine, when the NBA canceled and public schools indefinitely closed I completely freaked myself out. I read every negative article, watched every “Healthcare Overload” video and found myself full of anxiety.
Here I am – Mr. Tough Guy – who typically has a very optimistic outlook and I was completely scared. But I had to get my stuff together considering my wife worked in healthcare.
So I made a pact with myself – don’t talk about it to her and don’t read stuff online. And while I am not a smoker and never have been, I think staying off Facebook and Google to avoid Coronavirus news may be just as hard as quitting smoking… if not harder.
But now is the time to finally help your mindset grow! You have time to finally:
- Read that book
- Start meditation
- Finally, start that company you have been thinking of
- Get the Downward Dog app and do some free Yoga
- Spend time with family and friends
- Thinking positive
- Journaling
>> Related: Quarantine Life Hacks
2. Money
There are two groups of people out there:
- Most = freaking out because of finances
- Others = the told you so group
Not to be too blunt, but most people fall in the first category.. and it makes sense. Who would have ever thought we would have pandemic that means we can’t go to work?
However, the bright side is that this may be the wake-up call we all need to get our finances together. Experts have always recommended saving at least 20% of our income, yet so many simply disregarded this for years.
While there are layers as to why savings rates are an abysmal 3-5% in America each year, if the Coronavirus has taught us anything as it pertains to finances, it’s that maybe we finally take our finances seriously!
Maybe we should finally:
- Question all the credit card debt we took out last year
- Find online jobs where possible like online tutoring
- Reconsider getting new cars every two years
- Delete the Amazon app from our phone
- Cut up the credit cards
- Take our debt just a little more seriously
Lastly, we all know that while we can’t control everything that happens in life, it’s probably more advantageous to take of our finances, because lord knows the government can’t get it right!
3. Health
So many memes are traveling around social media channels talking about overeating and gaining weight during the quarantine.
Eating more has certainly been easier to do with unfettered access to our kitchen on a daily basis, the harsh reality is that we should all be getting in better shape.
We finally have TIME to exercise.
Now is the best time since the turn of the century to get in shape. At home workouts litter our feeds, workout videos are free online and gyms are renting weights/equipment.
Set a small goal to take your health seriously and do something cool that challenges yourself. For example, I have been running 2 miles daily – no matter what – just to test myself!
4. Productivity
The same neighbors who never cut their grass regularly, still are not cutting their grass – even with more time!
While this doesn’t make them bad human beings, it simply goes to show that human characteristics follow us whether we are quarantining or full go!
The excuse of not ‘Having Enough Time’ is now another excuse as to why they can’t cut their grass. However, instead of wasting time, perhaps it’s time to start getting more productive!
Here is a short list of ideas that you can use to be more productive:
- Purge and clean your apartment/house
- Read a chapter from a book daily
- Landscape your yard, clean your gutters, paint your shutters, etc.
- Do that home renovation project
- Start that social media channel or side hustle
- Train your dog (speaking to myself here)
- Dust of the old pressure washing machine in your garage
- Take an online course
- Finally, get your real estate license
- Do your budget sheet
- Get in shape
- Zoom with friends and family you haven’t seen!
- Workout more
- Workout 2x in one day
- Make a campfire
- Go camping
The list could seemingly go on forever and most of it includes the things I have done or set out to do during my 39 day quarantine (thus far).
Final Words:
Viktor Frankl is a Holocaust survivor. His infamous book, Man Searching For Meaning, describes his horrific experiences during the Holocaust, but not in the way you might think.
Frankl is know for his quote,
Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms—to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.
Dr. Viktor Frankl
In other words, the quarantine has taken many of our personal freedoms, for some, family members, and for all of us a piece of our resilience. But we can all choose to have a positive attitude and overcome this all!