There have been few events in history that have had enough concern to affect everyone on the planet, and one of those is the infamous coronavirus.
This coronavirus, or COVID-19 pandemic, ultimately brought about a lot of unneeded fear and stress into the lives of Americans, and many of these same Americans were struggling with stressful situations prior to this pandemic!
As full-time college students and workers, we know how easy it can be to add more stress into your life. Have you experienced:
- Excessive family time?
- Deafening dog barking?
- Unbearably slow internet speeds?
- Extreme meal preparation phobia?
We have too! While nearly everything in life can be good when taken in moderation, limits can be encouraged plentifully.
While we may not be able to help you escape from your barking children or noisy dog (or is it the other way around?), we have some practical skills to help keep you sane while you “rock it” from home.
Have a Plan!
Oftentimes, stress can come because of a fear of the unknown. The easiest way to beat the unknown is to get educated and make plans!
Do you know what to do if you have COVID-19? What are the symptoms? Where is the nearest testing facility?
We recommend you check out the CDC’s (Center for Disease Control and Prevention) website regarding what you should do when you’re sick!
After becoming educated, it is important that you (and your family) come up with a plan to fit your situation!
I (Sean) sat down with my family to discuss potential ways of quarantining in our own home (individual bedrooms and basements are awesome possibilities!) and even went on Amazon to buy a no-touch thermometer for adults!
Limit the Reporters!
While being updated during the pandemic times is vitally important, it’s not necessary or healthy to keep those eyes glued to the television screen!
The pandemic-focused news cycle can be very negative and induce stress on the viewers, which is exactly what we’re attempting to avoid!
We recommend you designate specific times that you will watch or read about news stories and avoid watching the news stations during other times of the day.
If this isn’t an option for you, try setting a one (or maybe two, if it’s your guilty pleasure) hour time limit on watching the news!
Tip – We have found that you can catch the majority of the day’s important news on the evening news cycle.
In our technology-driven culture that we live in today, it is too easy to get entranced and forget about those we care about around us!
Be careful not to spend extraordinary amounts of time on social media outlets, especially those that push news stories on their platform (Facebook is becoming a larger news source every day).
Look Good, Feel Good… Feel Good, Look Good!
Motivational speaker and serial entrepreneur, Ed Mylett, found himself in a rut during the times of quarantine, often wearing the same pair of pajama pants for several days.
Even though Ed was still able to manage 500 home-bound employees from his beach-side home, he felt off his game.
He decided to change his approach and started dressing in 3-piece suits every morning.
Additionally, he began working out at in short (15 minute) increments at 5 different times throughout the day!
Ed found ways to increase his game, even though he was confined to his sofa!
While we don’t have to dress up in business formal attire to Zoom, I do recommend that you make a point to get out of your “comfy” clothes (you know the ones I’m talking about!).
I (Ethan) have found that intentionally dressing in nicer clothes has improved my performance drastically.
What things can you do to improve your at-home experience and take advantage of this unprecedented time?
Undue stress is naturally going to occur when pandemic-level events arise across the globe but knowing how to deal with this stress is equally important!
Having a plan, limiting negative news, and making the best of your current situation are all things that we can do while we are locked up and beating the disease!
Meet the authors:
@Sean Miller
@Ethan Wade
