We are living in some interesting times. COVID-19 (commonly known as Coronavirus ) has turned our world upside down. There have been a plethora of reactions by society, with runs on toilet paper, hand sanitizer, disinfecting wipes, groceries and whatever else panic stricken people decides they need to hoard.

It brings to light how drastically unprepared we are in disaster-related challenges like this.

Many countries, organizations, and cities are in a lockdown state, with hopes of reducing the spread of COVID-19.

This is creating remote work for many of us, which will be an interesting experiment for organizations, and may have a HUGE impact on commercial rental real estate, if companies recognize they may not need to have their employees work out of an office all of the time (or at all.)

During these adjusting times we are facing, many of us have an opportunity to go at a slower pace.

We’ve been going full tilt for too long. So many of us have been stressed to the max. World issues, US Elections, family issues, job issues, etc. have had us loading up on antacids and other coping mechanisms.

This down time of no commutes, and learning a new way of working creates an opportunity to establish boundaries around your life.

If you get to work from home, you now have saved commuting time. Use that time to relax, go to a coffee shop, read a book, meditate, whatever it takes to bring more joy and fulfillment in your life.

Also, set hard boundaries around your work shift. if you normally are in the office from 9–5, don’t work outside of those hours.

With less interruptions you will find that you might get your work completed faster than before.

DO NOT ADD MORE TO YOUR TO-DO LIST if you run through your work load. If there are a couple projects that you’ve been unable to complete, start working on them, but only during your normal work shift.

You’ll likely discover new ways to be efficient with your time, and do it in a more relaxed state.

Take this opportunity to:

  • Relax
  • Breathe
  • Celebrate loved ones (Author note: My Dad passed away a few days ago, so this one means more to me than anything else)
  • Learn how you work, so you can be more efficient
  • Don’t work after your normal shift

I’m hopeful that all of this will come to a positive conclusion in a few weeks. I miss sports, I miss my Dad, and I miss the normal routine that we all used to bitch and complain about.

Hunker down and be well!

Author(s)

  • Michael Levitt

    Chief Burnout Officer

    Breakfast Leadership, Inc.

    Michael Levitt is the founder & Chief Burnout Officer of Breakfast Leadership, Inc,, a San Diego and Toronto-based burnout prevention firm. He is a Certified NLP and CBT Therapist, and is one of the world's leading authorities in burnout recovery and prevention.  He is also a Fortune 500 consultant, #1 bestselling author, and host of the Breakfast Leadership Show, a top 200 podcast on iTunes. He is a 2x Top 20 Global Thought Leader on Culture with Thinkers360. He is a former Healthcare executive, CIO, and CFO overseeing $ 2 Billion budgets, so he’s seen and done it all.
    His main keynotes are:
    1. Burnout Prevention: How To Avoid Your Own Year of Worst-Case Scenarios 2. Workplace Culture: Create A Workplace That People Will Beg To Work With 3. Working Remotely With Boundaries: How To Accomplish More At Home, Without Burning Out