Life as you know it has changed.
COVID-19 has altered the lives of just about every single person in the United States, and probably the world to some degree. These are scary times as countless businesses, incomes, and livelihoods have become held hostage by fear and the uncertainty of what is yet to come.
And while it might be easy to sit back and let yourself drown in the panic inducing headlines and articles, there are a few ways to try and stay optimistic throughout this entire situation.
Remember, you’re not alone.
Listen, COVID-19 sucks. There’s no real positives to what this is doing to our health, the economy, and all aspects of our lives. We’d be lying if we said that Grit has managed to remain unaffected, but that is far from the case. We’ve lost a ton of revenue as a huge chunk of our clients have understandably opted to stay away from the facility until this pandemic is under control.
But we’re not alone. Restaurants, bars, arena workers, airport personnel, teachers, daycares, bakeries, and all sorts of small business have taken a hit. Everyone is feeling the sting from COVID-19 in some way, shape, or form. And while that might seem like a terrible thing, it also means that it’s going to take a collective and cooperative effort to get things back to normal.
You’re not going to be swimming upstream while the current of life works against you. You’ve got all sorts of other little fishies swimming right beside you, and they’re going to be there for you along the way.
I’d be willing to bet that just like post 9/11, these events will help unify and bring people together. But hey, that’s just the optimist in me.
Take a moment to truly appreciate what you have.
It’s very easy to let the non-stop (and seemingly solely negative) flow of virus related news make you feel sad, scared, or pessimistic. It’s understandable. For most of us, the preventative measures being taken have forcibly removed some of the luxuries and liberties that we’ve grown accustomed to. But instead of saying “why me?” and playing the victim, take a second to shift your mindset to one of gratitude.
Are you still surrounded (perhaps remotely) by friends and family who love you?
Have you gotten to spend more quality time with your kids?
Because of this virus, Nolan will likely not be receiving a haircut for who knows how long. Unless I do it…
Still have a roof over your head?
These are all things that you should be grateful for in times like this. Take some time and focus on appreciating the things that you’ve got going on for you instead of focusing on what COVID-19 is taking away.
Homework: while this pandemic is going on, start every day by writing down 3 things you’re grateful for. We promise it will help shift your view on things and put you in a positive frame of mind for the rest of the day.
Me time.
Many folks are quarantined right now and I’d bet a pretty penny that soon many states will follow suit to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. Now, you can take the attitude of “Oh, great! Stuck in my house for how long?! THIS SUCKS, THANKS CORONA. #CORONASUCKS”
Or…
You can use all this new spare time to do an overview on your life.
What’s lacking?
What can you improve upon so when things normalize you can be a better individual?
What systems or methods can you fortify in your business to ensure it’s back on its feet when this dies down?
How can you implement new strategies to improve X, Y, and Z?
What steps can you take to finally change (insert bad habit)?
Do a daily time audit. What bullsh*t daily activities can you alter to make your days more productive or enjoyable?
Take this time to strengthen any self identified weak links that you think you may have going on in your life. I mean, honestly, you can only watch so much Netflix before you’ll need to do something else.
Control the controllables.
There are a ton of factors regarding this virus that you can’t control. You can’t help that it spreads in NYC, Connecticut, Texas, or Italy. You don’t know when the spread will slow down. The unknowns about this situation are unnerving to say the least.
But you shouldn’t let those unknowns dictate how you feel (at least 100% of the time).
Worrying about things you have no control over does nothing for your current situation. It just adds stress, anxiety, and fear to your situation without actually changing it for the better
Instead, focus on controlling what you can control. Washing your hands, social distancing, staying inside, avoiding groups larger than 10 people, making fun of people who bought 400 rolls of toilet paper….
And above all else, realize that tough times don’t last. Tough people do.
At the end of the day, this pandemic will likely end at some point. And while it will affect tons of people in various ways, just realize it will end. And when it does, you’ll come out as a better person.
So keep that chin up, kiddo.