Lockdown is not something we expected while welcoming this year with fireworks and celebrations, but every situation has its glimmer of hope. Some people have taken it as an opportunity to learn something new, like playing an instrument, cooking, or writing. On the other hand, many of us are anxiously waiting to get back to our usual routine. I took this opportunity to sit back and reflect on my life before the restriction and realized some key differences in perceptive towards this beautiful thing called life, which also impacted the change in my habits.
Express gratitude towards others:
Remember the last time you got something you didn’t ask for – just as a token of appreciation, didn’t it feel amazing? If you have someone who supports you, it doesn’t need to be a gift, just take the time to tell them how grateful you are to have them in your life; it will spark a sense of affection and warmth between you and the other person, you never know when you’ll have this opportunity again.
If you work in an office, thanking your colleague for their help can make a huge difference, also appreciating your subordinates with kind words like “well done” or “good job” shows appreciation and helps build a healthy relationship. There are several ways to express gratitude, and the more we display, the more resistant we get to negativity.
Do not neglect self-care:
People usually neglect self-care when faced with a stressful situation, but taking care of your well being helps you get through difficult times and also help others.
“It is so important to take time for yourself and find clarity. The most important relationship is the one you have with yourself.”
Diane Von Furstenberg
Start by creating a simple routine like eating healthy foods, exercise regularly, get enough sleep, have a good time with friends, and do the things you enjoy.
Generate multiple streams of income:
Unfortunately, the pandemic has caused many people to lose their primary source of income, such as job or business; this shows the importance of having multiple streams of income to cope with unfortunate events in the future. It can either be an active or passive form of income. Active income means you’re putting in efforts after working hours to earn extra cash, like teaching, or offering freelance service. Passive income means earning with minimal or no efforts derived from rental property, affiliate marketing, limited partnership, etc.
Stay connected with your clients/customer
As business owners or marketers, we’re always focused towards the financial benefits. Why not treat our clients or customers as real people and focus on building a relationship which will benefit you in the long run. Take an example of FJackets, an e-commerce store that sells outerwear. The website has a page with a personalized message from the CEO to the customers; this gives a positive impact and is a great way to connect with your customer.
You can do something similar, like sending a birthday wish e-mail or asking for recommendations and offering rewards with loyalty discount programs. Staying connects with your customers helps build loyalty, and loyal customers are the ones that help you when in difficult times.
Appreciate the little things in life
There were so many important things to me before lockdown, but I didn’t realize until I was unable to do them due to restrictions. So it’s essential to cherish whatever you have now, you may never understand the importance of them unless they’re taken away from you, as there is a saying
“You don’t know what you’ve got until it’s gone.’ The truth is, you knew exactly what you had. You just didn’t think that you were going to lose it.”
Anonymous
Conclusion:
The purpose of life is not merely to survive, but to thrive, we may face stressful situations at times, but there is always sunshine after a stormy night. Whatever is thrown at you in life is to prepare you for a better future. We need to learn how to adapt according to the situation and learn from our mistakes to become the better version of ourselves.