Use this time as an opportunity

Arielle Harding

Of course, I would never say or think of the Coronavirus Pandemic as a positive situation, but instead of being upset over a situation, you can’t control focus on what you can control. 

Along with every negative situation, there is always a way to find a solution and take advantage of it. 

Just earlier today I was on a video chat with two of my high school friends and we, of course, ended up discussing what we were up to during the quarantine. One of my friends, the more crafty one, was doing a lot of painting and other artistic activities. My other friend was using this as an opportunity for reading more books.

Here is a list, which I’m sure you’ve seen variations of on other peoples blogs, but here is my list along with examples from my experience: 

1.Connect with Family and Friends: We are so fortunate to be in the age of digital technology. Feeling lonely or bored? That’s the perfect opportunity to get on the phone or FaceTime with family and friends. Or even just message friends that you haven’t spoken to for a while to catch up. Now is the time. Or you can participate in some fun online activities with your friends! Just this week I had a Netflix Party with a group of my college friends and then also later in the week played  Skribbl (an online drawing charades game) with two of my high school friends. 

2.Start reading or read more: If you haven’t been reading now is the perfect time to pick up a good book and start reading. Or if you have been reading now you have the opportunity to read more. I’ve really been diving into the book “Choose Your Perspective” by John Martin, which has really related to what has been going on and having a positive perspective during tough situations.

3.Take an online course: Have you always wanted to take that online marketing course or learn a new skill? Use the time you will be inside to do this. There are so many online courses that you have unlimited options. 

4. Connect Online: Fortunately since we’re in the digital age, so many events that were supposed to happen in person, are now being moved to virtual events. Just this week I tried out a digital networking event (you could hop around or click around to different tables to talk to different people) and also enjoyed an amazing “Pursue Your Passion” virtual summit hearing from successful entrepreneurs hosted by Stacking Growth and Sapphire Media. 

5.Pursue a new hobby: It can be something you’ve wanted to try or something completely random. I was talking to my high school friend and she started picking up some art projects including drawing and crocheting. I started writing/blogging more. 

Things not to do: 

Being inside all day can often lead to bad habits (which I am guilty of as well). Here are a few things that should be avoided:

1.Binge-watching: Sure you can catch up on some shows, but don’t spend the whole weekend just sitting on the couch watching Netflix. It’s just extremely anti-productive and overall not good for your mind, body, and soul. 

2.Drinking: Sure, a glass of wine or a drink or two on a Saturday night is fine. I honestly almost never drink alone, mostly because I am a huge social drinker. But since the quarantine drinking socially is less of an option. So I get that you may have a glass of wine on Saturday night by yourself, but since your now home every night make sure not to end up drinking every night- because honestly, you don’t need to. Plus eventually, that will become a bad habit. 

3.Binge eating: So now that you’re home more often it’s easy to just head over to the fridge and really overall just snack all the time. This pretty much goes without saying- but avoid doing this. One thing I do to avoid doing this is to plan out what I am going to eat during the day including Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner along with afternoon and evening snacks. 

How to stay productive and avoid bad habits 

One of my biggest challenges, which I’m sure some of you guys can relate to, is becoming extremely lazy from being home all day and night (for the most part). Since I am now working from home full time it is hard to stay productive, especially after work and focus on my outside career goals. 

One thing that has really helped me is planning out my day. I’ll write a to-do list and then make a schedule for my day. Also, when I get a little stir-crazy being inside I’ll go for a walk to stretch and get some fresh air.

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