During this time I’ve heard people say the following:
“I’m just trying to get through the day.”
“It’s like waiting out a long snow day.”
“I’ll get back to working on X when things go back to normal.”
But there are so many ways to come out of this time better and more fulfilled. As I write this I have been in the same oversized t-shirt since Friday. And I may or may not have had chocolate covered pretzels for breakfast. I am not one of those people who is saying I’m doing the right things every day-showering, getting dressed up, eating my smoothies, and training for a marathon. If you are one of “those people” than you don’t need this article and you can stop here.
Just because the rest of us can’t do everything perfectly during quarantine doesn’t mean we can’t make the most of this time in our own way. The important thing is to think about what that looks like for you. Can you do something each day to better your mind, your relationships, your house or the world? No? What about every two days? Every week?
It is ok if you spent an entire day watching the new season of Ozark. Or if your kids had chips and salsa for dinner. But what CAN you do? A few weeks ago I started a Facebook group called Social Survival Guide to connect people and have a place for people to post and look for free virtual activities and events. I’m a connector who teaches networking so this was one of my contributions and selfishly, a way for me to stay sane and connect as well. There is no shortage of things to do. People in the group have found and posted classes to take, art projects to keep their kids busy, free orchestra concerts to watch and more. You don’t have to do everything. But do one thing. Start there.
I asked the group a few days ago to comment about something good that has come out of their time at home. I got some responses about how their whole family had gone on a 30 day healthy journey together as a family. Good for you. But I got incredible other responses too. Here are a few that stayed with me:
“Catching up with friends & fam from afar I haven’t spoken to in years!”
“Spending more FaceTime with my two grown children . Being all together online has been comforting and joyous.”
“Spending time with my husband. We work opposite schedules, so we have, quite literally, never spent this much time together. It’s bringing us closer and I’m very grateful.”
“More time with dogs.”
It is always about the connection.
So be kind to yourself. But don’t just be. Survival is not the same as living. Find a way to make this time meaningful for you.
Jennifer Lynn Robinson, Esquire is the CEO of Purposeful Networking. Her services include consulting, moderating, keynotes and workshops to help build networking, communication and public speaking skills. A former litigator, Jennifer also does motivational speaking detailing her path of reinvention following a near death accident. She has been featured in local and national media. You can learn more at purposefulnetworking.com and follow Jennifer at @areyounetworked.