I’m finding it hard writing about the things I want to express because I can tell that our minds are somewhere else. We are thinking about coronavirus. It is difficult to divert our attention when the whole world is shaken by COVID-19. But then, we can’t stop the seasons from changing, we can’t tell the calendar to stop moving forward nor tell spring to wait until corona is over. The flowers are blooming, it is getting warmer outside, the seasons are changing right before our eyes. Just like the calendar and the seasons, we have to keep moving. We can’t put our lives on hold until this period is over. Our lives must go on.
I am not referring to people who are genuinely ill and need to get well before they can do much. And my condolences to those who have lost loved ones during this period. For some people who have lost their jobs, there are limited opportunities to get a job somewhere else because many places are closed or are not hiring. These are unprecedented times. In fact, more that 3 million Americans filed for unemployment claims last week.
That is worse than the numbers during The Great Depression. And that was just one week.
You see… I’m getting sidetracked and sucked into the trap of what’s going on. It is difficult not to. These are tough times. But we need to create some peace in the midst of this all. (View some resources here to manage covid-19 stress.)
To all of us, able bodied out there, rather than the question “when will this be over so I can get back to my life?” Let’s ask, “what does this make possible for me right now?” Below is a start of three things this crisis makes possible.
1. Revamping new year’s goals
Let’s go back to the post on setting new year’s goals. Yes, I can hear some of you saying “2020 is not what I expected…” True! It is not what any of us expected, but here we are.
When life gives us lemons, we CAN make lemonade. It’s up to us!
So, let’s go back to your new year’s goals. Some of us wanted to travel, well that may not happen for the next months. What else did you want to do? Here are some questions to ask yourself as you revamp your goals:
- Where am I on this goal? How am I doing?
- Is this still possible based on covid-19 events?
- How can I change this goal to make it more doable?
- If it isn’t changeable, what new goal can I adopt? – Maybe something you have put off for later, but you are able to do now that you are home.
- What do I need to do differently to make my goals more achievable?
- What goals am I crushing right now? What are my victories? Have I celebrated them?
- Where do I need some help? Who can help me virtually?
- What skills do I need to learn to be better at this goal?
- Can I take an online course, read a book, do something from the comfort of my home that will add to my knowledge and skill-base?
- How can I get more creative in accomplishing this goal?
Re-evaluating your goal is equally important as setting the goals. Three months into the year is a good time to do this.
2. Serving others
Maybe new year’s goals weren’t your thing, or you can’t even bring yourself to think about that right now. I get it. Here’s a suggestion for you. Maybe one of those 3+ million people I mentioned early, is your neighbor or a friend and you are able to work from home. Could you help them out? Buy them some groceries, give them a few dollars, say a few kind words to them, smile when you walk by, be neighborly.
The fact that we are socially distancing ourselves doesn’t mean we can’t serve others. Maybe this is an opportunity for all of us to show a little kindness to people online. Share some encouragement, offer words of affirmation, or laughter on your social media so you can uplift someone else.
Who can you serve? How can you be more pleasant online?
3. Practicing gratitude
And lastly, we can always find something to be grateful for. Grateful people are happy people. These are definitely the times when we need to choose to find something to be grateful for or else, we will be overwhelmed by all the struggles around us. So, while it is okay for you to feel sad, angry, and even frustrated for all the things that are terrible right now, there are some things that are not so bad about your life. These are the things that we need to force ourselves to remember. It could be that the flowers are blooming, the sun is shining, you have a roof over your head, you are able to communicate with people through technology (can you imagine if we had social distancing in the 1800s, we will be so disconnected). It could be that you watched a movie, or you ate something that you enjoyed.
What are you grateful for? The trick to gratitude and how it brings positive emotions is reflecting even for a minute or so about the experience you are grateful for. Don’t just say you are grateful for the sunshine, soak it up. Reflect on how the sun feels on your skin or better yet, go outside and feel it.
Another great post to make people feel the goodness in themselves that can also be transferred or transmitted to making others feel great.
A. A. Amin
Great things to remember! We can still make something of this period.