With the coronavirus crisis in full effect, everyone’s lives have been turned upside down one way or another. It’s easy to get caught up in all of the numbers and get anxious about a variety of things. Nothing is the way it once was, and this change can make stressful things feel even more stressful. So how do you find the normal moments in a world that feels anything but?
Back to the basics
Trying to carve some time out to feel a sense of normalcy can make things slow down for a moment. Find the things that make you happy and try to make the time to dedicate doing those things. There are many different things people have the opportunity to do during this crazy time but you know yourself the best, so stick to things that you know will make you happy. For me, that’s reading a book. Sitting out on my back deck and reading a chapter or two of a good novel makes me forget about the noise of the world and helps me live in the moment, even if the moment is short.
Working hard and smart
Diving into my work has helped me find normalcy during times of social distancing and limited access to the world. Knowing that for eight hours a day, five days a week, I’ll be working diligently and accomplishing goals made me feel as if I had established some kind of normalcy despite being in my house most hours of the week. Staying in contact with coworkers and keeping up with my calendar is great too, and it keeps me in the mentality of “Done with this, onto the next thing.”
Maintaining a sense of normalcy is important, and this is also an opportunity to develop new habits with all of the available free time now.
Maintaining connections
With everyone stuck in their house, it’s easy to feel cut off. Luckily, the technology we have today makes it easier than ever to stay connected. Having scheduled video calls with others is a great way to substitute hanging out with people. Or maybe instead of video calls, you know that you’ll play video games with friends at a certain day and time. Even if video games or video conferencing isn’t for you, calling up a friend to see how they’re doing will do the trick as well. Finding ways to regularly interact with others during these times is a way to feel a sense of normalcy. Getting lost in conversation with friends, even if it’s through a video conferencing app, is a great way to establish some feeling like things are okay during these uncertain times.
Time to establish something new
Before the coronavirus crisis was in full effect, I wasn’t waking up in the morning to work out with my roommates – and I wasn’t doing many of the things I am doing now. After everyday life operations got upended, I realized I wouldn’t be my best if I was brooding in the madness of the new situation. Instead, I saw it as a new opportunity to develop some good habits while everything is shut down. Since no one can really go out that much, it was a good time to get healthier and develop some habits that I’ve wanted to dedicate some time to for a while. While it sounds like a contradiction, a great way to feel normal during uncertain times is to start new habits. We have more time than ever before: many are working from home and without any commute you have an extra thirty minutes to an hour to dedicate whatever time you want to dedicate to. For me it’s been time to work out and read, but for others it might give more time to spend with their children or work on things around the house. Or maybe you’ve wanted to try meditation, or try to write that book that you’ve been thinking about. Maintaining a sense of normalcy is important, and this is also an opportunity to develop new habits with all of the available free time now.
If you’re curious about this topic and want to read more, we have some blog posts about the new normal here, here, and here.
