How To Be Productive & Positive During The Coronavirus Pandemic

How are you doing with the recent COVID-19 outbreak? It feels surreal, doesn’t it? Just last week I was in Sun Valley with my girlfriends. Life felt normal. One week later, our lives are turned upside down. We are all craving some sort of normalcy right now. One thing we know for certain is that there is so much uncertainty. So we can’t control external circumstances or people, however, we do have control over our own thoughts, attitude and actions.

How do we make the most of the extra time we have been given due to the coronavirus? Time is a gift. How often have we wished we had more time to do the things we want to do. Everything is cancelled so take this time in history to spend your time wisely… positively with purpose. When you look back on this time, you will want to feel good about how you spent your time. Helping others, spending time with family.

How can we be productive and stay positive during the cornavirus outbreak?  Public health officials urges business to allow employees to work remotely. That means spending lots of time from home. With that in mind, I have outlined nine simple ways to take control and be positively productive during the COVID-19  outbreak.  Let’s look for the silver lining, turn off the news filled with fear and reach out and help others.  This virus will make the history books so what will your story be? How did you help others to make a difference? How did you spend time with your family?

We Are In This Together

Perhaps this is a time for everybody to hit the reset button. This is the quintessential time for all us to come together and help one another. Maybe this is what our world needs to come together? I’m trying hard to be positive and look for the good and discover a silver lining somewhere.

Everyone is in the same stormy rough sea right now. Our boats may look different from each others but the adventure is rough sailing for  all.  I hope we all can recognize that the rising and crashing waves are in the same ocean, we all share.  As we ride the waves, the reality of the ups and downs are out of our control.  It’s clear that life’s ups require life’s downs. So, let’s  buckle  down the hatches and, sail the stormy sea together as we help each other out. Hold on tight and brace yourself people.  Take time to focus on family and be productive and positive as much as humanly possible.  Let’s  choose love, faith and compassion instead of panic and fear. I know that’s easier said than done as anxiety levels are higher than ever right now.

If you fight with anxiety, here are several resources that may be helpful:

To paraphrase the poet Iain S. Thomas, “Do not let the pain of a situation make you hopeless.  Do not let negativity wear off on you.  Do not let the bitterness steal your sweetness.  Even though others may disagree with you, take pride in the fact that you still know the world to be a beautiful place.”

With that in mind, I looking for  positive in this negative situation. So what can we do to make the best of this horrific time in our lives?“The bottom line is going to get worse,”said Dr. Anthony S Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. Keep in mind, life will resume as normal at some point in the near future, so stay positive. I refuse to buy into the panic. We can’t control the virus but we can control what we do with our time and our attitude. Here are nine ways to be positive and productive during this difficult time.

“It is only in our darkest hours that we may discover the true strength of the brilliant light within ourselves that can never, ever, be dimmed.” – Doe Zantamata

NINE WAYS TO BE POSITIVELY PRODUCTIVE DURING THE CORONAVIRUS OUTBREAK

1. Support Local Business Anyway You Can

Small business everywhere are closing and suffering. They need our support if possible. Order in and shop locally anytime have the opportunity.  Support  your favorite restaurants! They employee lots of people who count on that income to survive.

2. Give Blood

Hospitals need blood now more than ever. Consider donating blood.  Don’t call or visit the hospital to find out more info. Instead, contact your local clinic to find out where you can donate. Donating blood is a safe process and people should not hesitate to give or receive blood. Right now, eligible and healthy donors are strongly urged to make an appointment to give soon. But please postpone your donation for 28 days following travel to China and its special administrative regions, Hong Kong and Macau, as well as Iran, Italy and South Korea, or if you’ve been diagnosed with or have had contact with anyone with a suspected or confirmed case of COVID-19. Learn more about coronavirus and blood donation.

3. Invest

If you have been waiting for the stock market to drop. Consider investing money that pays dividends. Do it now.  The market will eventually go back up.

4. Help Your Neighbors and Senior Citizens.

Run errands for your elderly neighbors or those who many need your assistance. Donate food to shelters. Those with no resources need food right now.  Do yard work for those you may need help.

If you know someone that has kids at home and still working then volunteer to provide child care, deliver meals, help people sign up for health insurance, offer transportation, lend emotional support or give a financial donation, among other options.

5. Home Projects–

• Paint a room – Have you been waiting for the right time to paint a room in your home? Do it now.
• Organize photos– Are the pictures from last years families’s vacation still tucked in the envelope they occupied when you picked them up at the drugstore? Even if you’re conscientious about keeping your photo exhibits up to date, its perfect time to freshen frames as well as their contents. If digital photo books are more appealing to you, check out Snapfish and Shutterfly they are offering amazing deals right now.
• Clean Out Your Closets and Drawers- Declutter time! Organize your spring wardrobe.
• Clear your gutters of all the pine needles, twigs, leaves, and other organic material that accumulated over the long winter months. Give the gutters a thorough cleaning, and while you’re up there, consider installing gutter guards, which are screens or foam inserts that prevent debris from piling up in the first place.
• Deep Clean your home- Clean your carpets, vac radiators and heating grates. We are all craving a sterile environment … clean that is.
• Artwork! Let your kids get creative. Why not you too? Embellish and paint of piece of art or make note cards.
• Move Furniture Around– Give your home a new look and change things up.
• Create A Mindful Home-  Since you will be spending more time than usual at home, why not make it peaceful and cozy? Here are some ideas to make your home mindful.
• Declutter Your Home– Get ride of any unnecessary paper for good. Here is a guide to get organized and declutter your office and home. 

6.  What To Do With Your Kids:

Take time to be with your family, it’s a gift we have right now. Turn off the news and turn on music to relieve the stress and anxiety that families are feeling right now. Are your kids anxious? If your kids are worried about the virus, I found this link to be helpful. Reassuring comic for kiddos.

• Make an indoor cinema with homemade popcorn and blankets.
• READ! Take time and read with your kids.
• If you can’t travel, bring the best museums  in the world to your living room with virtual tours here. 
• Help your kids get creative with some arts and crafts.
• Get those board games out and put your kid’s skills to the test.  Are you a Monopoly fan, or perhaps Candyland? Check out some of the best board games for families if you’re looking for inspiration.
• Get outside and go for a walk, hike anywhere there is not too many people.
• Bake and cook together. You can’t go wrong with a batch of chocolate Rice Krispies cakes. All you need is Rice Krispies and chocolate of their choice.
• Set up a schedule for your kids who are out of school right now. A set schedule is healthy for youth, they are seeking a sense of normal right now.
• Go through all the toys in the house and plan to donate those the kids are not using anymore. Same goes for the closet. This is a great exercise for kids.
• Watch those Netflix series and movies that you have been waiting to see. Looking for some entertaining new NetFlix series? Check the Gal Pal’s top Netflix list here. 

7. Breathing Exercises And Meditation Prayer

What calms me is meditation and prayer and boy, we need prayer and faith more than ever right now.  We tend to hold our breath when we are stressed so practice  deep breathing and try to relax as you focus on positive things in your life. If you like to pray like me, read devotionals and set time aside to pray for healing and peace. What kind of meditation is best for you? Check out this link. 

8.  Work On Self Driven Goals-

It’s a good time to focus on YOU! Take time to focus on your goals and hit the re-set button. Here are some ideas to consider… how to unleash things that may be holding you back. 

9.  Learn How To Self Quarantine- Just In Case

• Designate one room in the home as home base.
• Surgical mask to wear in the house.
• The bathroom is the hot spot for germs so clean and sterilize the bathroom. Use paper towels and not sponges. When you spray disinfectant, don’t wipe it dry, it helps kills the germs.
• Wash clothes in hot water if possible. Dry at high heat.
• Designate one caretaker in a family. You can also do this ourselves.
• Take clothes off and change especially shoes when you enter into the house.

Clean you cell phone! Wipe down the cell phone with disinfected wipes as often as possible.

As fear grips our country, let’s choose love and compassion even though we can’t wrap our arms around those that we love. Please also remember how fortunate we are to have a home to go to. So many people don’t have a place called home.

If you have some good ideas and stories, please comment and share. Thank you Gal Pals!

XOXO