Hello there. I write from my newly minted battle station, ahem, I mean home office.
My wife and I started working remotely on Friday and anticipate staying in relative isolation for at least the next couple of weeks.
I hope you are all holding up okay. I know staying at home is easier for some than others. I am lucky because I live with my best friend so I always have someone to hang out with who I will never get sick of. She hasn’t gotten tired of my shenanigans yet either so all is well on that front.
If you are like me, you are probably sick of all the negativity and fear that is permeating the general public. I am not going to write about COVID-19. There are plenty of articles out there written by people who have a MUCH better idea of what they are talking about than I do.
I want to offer a different angle.
I want to look for silver linings.
Obviously, silver linings are hard to find in a time where there is so much fear and uncertainty. But I think that is exactly why we need to look for them all the harder. Now, I am not trying to make light of the situation. I think it is absolutely serious and that it is important for everyone to take the common-sense steps necessary to do our part to beat this thing.
I just think that staying sane during periods of extended isolation is part of that fight.
Here is my list of silver-linings in an age of quarantine:
Time
If, like me, you are stuck at home for at least the next few weeks, chances are you will have a bit more time than you are generally used to. What are you going to do with it? I have put together a few handy-dandy lists of things that can keep you busy. That book you’ve never gotten around to? That online course you bought but never finished? That game you always wanted to learn how to play? Now is your chance.
Habits
Now could be a good time to reflect on habits. Good ones you want to acquire. Bad ones you want to get rid of. You now have the opportunity to set the tone over the next few weeks so that you can hit the ground running when the world starts spinning again. At the very least you can work on the habit of taking walks outside, which is fantastic for mental, physical, and relationship health.
Focus
I sometimes have trouble focusing. I like to multi-task and I’d rather bounce around on a bunch of different projects than focus on just one. The next few weeks could be a time to really zero in on one or two projects that will move the needle for you. Anything that just kept getting pushed to the back of your to-do list? COUGHtaxesCOUGH. Now is the time to get that box checked.
Remote Work
If you are working from home for the first extended period of time, think of it as a remote work test run. Guess what? Some people work from home all the time. Yeah. Like every day. Remote work has a lot of great perks. No commute. Increased flexibility. Increased focus. It is definitely not for everyone, but maybe it is for you and you just never had the chance to really experience it before. Don’t think of your isolation as some sort of imposed quarantine. Think of it as a remote work test-run to see if you enjoy it. Hopefully, another silver lining is that people being forced to work from home will necessitate more companies developing remote work protocols and infrastructure. Maybe this can turn into increased flexibility and access to high-quality remote jobs in the future.
Resiliency
The seeds of the next great endeavor are always planted in the ashes of the previous one. Time and time again, we see the greatest businesses and technologies born during the toughest times. Why? I think it’s because those who can weather the storm develop a resiliency that others don’t. Like a forest fire, companies and institutions built of rotting wood are cleared away which presents the opportunity for new and improved enterprises to rise up and take their place. This natural evolution is accelerated in tough times. It is going to be a painful next few months. There is no doubt about it, but during times like this is when the wheat is separated from the chaff.
Wake-up Call
Sometimes life smacks you right upside the head. Hopefully the events we are living through can be a wake up call to all of us. To businesses that need to get with the times. To governments that need to increase preparedness and responsiveness. To individuals about common-sense hygiene and personal conduct. To ALL OF US. At times like these, you realize that there is a lot more that unites us than separates us. That we are much more similar than different. Hopefully if there is one thing to come out of this ordeal it is that we look to each other with a renewed sense of humanity and brotherhood.
Things are bad. And I can’t promise you they won’t get worse before they get better.
But I can promise you that they will get better.
This too shall pass. And we will come out on the other side stronger.
Stick together.
Don’t give in to fear.
Ask for help when you need it.
And keep focused on those silver linings.