5 Opportunities the Coronavirus Provides

For most of us, the stay at home order presents a tremendous challenge to our way of life. It has also been a great imposition on our personal and professional productivity. However, as great as the challenge is, we all still have the opportunity to learn, grow and succeed.

Unlike most anytime in our lives, now is the time for us to focus on areas of our life that we feel we are “too busy” to tend to. Taking advantage of these opportunities will help you, not only to survive but thrive. If you’re looking to make the best out of this situation, read on.

1. Organize — Whether you just want to catch up on cleaning your attic or purging your closet KonMari style, now is the time. Designate a space for items you’ll donate once we can all go out again, and try to keep it out of sight. Go through old files (digital or physical), scan & shred important documents, and in doing so, create new space in your home that’ll make it easier to endure these weeks of quarantine. If cleaning out a whole closet or cabinet at once seems unmanageable, break the task down into smaller pieces. Schedule 45 minutes a few times a week to work on it, and really stick to that schedule. Or, pick one shelf or drawer at a time to go through. Decluttering will result in greater productivity and peace of mind.
2. Develop a Skill — If you’ve always wanted to start a new hobby, explore an interest, or gain more knowledge, now is your time to do so. Ivy League colleges offer some free courses but if those don’t fit your area of interest, try YouTube. Or, search for online tutorials on painting, learning an instrument, or cooking or baking a treat for yourself and your co-quarantiners. The Internet is a great way to gain knowledge and explore new ideas. Remember, you don’t need to become an expert in your newfound hobby or interest, you just have to enjoy it!
3. Meditate — During this time, it can be beneficial to do some self-reflection. Think: Who am I? What is my purpose? What is my passion in life? When I first graduated from college, I spent 16 months traveling solo to eight countries. All the alone time on planes, trains, and buses, backpacking or sitting in a hostel, gave me the time and space to learn about who I was and who I wanted to be. Lacking the opportunity for solo travel or even any real alone time right now, check out the Headspace app, online religious services, or reflective instrumental music to help put yourself in the right headspace for meditation.
4. Develop an Action Plan — How will you come out of this a better version of yourself? First, create a goal–a personal or professional SMART goal–then list the steps you need to take to accomplish. Your plan may be a Gantt chart, flowchart, a table or something different again. Next, prioritize the tasks and include deadlines–realistic ones. Now identify the resources you will need to implement your plan. Be prepared to purchase what’s needed. Then you are ready to visualize your action plan, being free to alter it as you do. Lastly, as you implement your plan, be sure to monitor your work, evaluate your progress, and modify your plan as needed.
5. Grow Appreciation — Many of us are lacking appreciation. Due to the American pace of life, some of us actually don’t have time for it (that’s a scary thought). We often do not recognize and enjoy the goodness in life, in others and even in ourselves. We need to reflect on our gratitude, feel every ounce of it, and express it. As I often tell audiences, “silent gratitude does no one any good!” If we grow an appreciation for our own lives and those around us, we can create a better quality of life for all.

A majority of us have a golden opportunity to not only survive this time, but to thrive because of the “gift” of time we are being given. Those most likely to succeed during these times are the ones who make the most of the time they have now. Keep in mind we are all experiencing trauma, and this time may be harder on some than others. If these ideas help you cope, please make use of them! If it feels overwhelming, give yourself permission not to work on self-improvement during this time.