Some days, it can be hard to find a silver lining with everything that is happening around the globe. With so many people sick and lives turned upside down by unemployment and financial disaster, finding ways to remain positive and seeking out the good in the world is easier said than done.
People are “socially distant” at the moment. We are keeping ourselves away from our co-workers and friends, and we are forced to spend more time than ever with ourselves and those living in our household. With stay-at-home orders continuing into the next few weeks at the very least, many people are beginning to adjust to their new, quieter lives.
The solitude that COVID-19 has mandated gives room for reflection on our “normal” (pre-COVID) lives. If you are unemployed, you have probably found yourself thinking a lot about your next career step. Perhaps you are itching to get back to that same job because you had such a passion for it and being away from work has only renewed your love for it.
Or maybe, being laid off was a blessing in disguise in the long run, because it is giving you the opportunity to reexamine your career goals. Maybe you had become stuck in a career you didn’t like or no longer connected with. Now, circumstances dictate that you actively choose a new job, a new path. It can be freeing to be given the chance to start again.
During these past few weeks, you have no doubt spent more time at home than usual. You might be sleeping in more or spending more time preparing meals. Consider how these changes may be good changes in your daily life. Several months ago, were you getting five hours of sleep each night because you stayed at the office too late? You may notice you’re getting eight hours now and feeling more awake, more revitalized.
Perhaps, in your pre-COVID morning rush to work, you skipped breakfast several days a week. Now, with no commute, you have time to prepare breakfast at your leisure. Are you eating better now? Having more regular meals? Maybe you’re having time to prepare less frozen foods and having time to talk with your family over dinner.
The last few weeks have severely restricted people’s modes of communication. Video chats are the go-to options for many friends and families. Staying at home is also an opportunity to reexamine our relationships with our friends and families. Which friends have made an effort to stay in touch? Which friends could use a little more support throughout this stress?
Many of us are reconnecting with ourselves and others in a way that the everyday hustle and bustle of the usual corporate world doesn’t allow. Take this time to glean small pearls of wisdom from your life right now. When the world picks up speed again, you don’t have to forget those things you learned in your time at home, and instead, you can use them to shape your life into the life you love.