We are all facing setbacks as the world continues to deal with social distancing, quarantine and a (hopefully) temporary adjustment to our lives. This post includes my methods for dealing with emergencies and how I pass the time when I’m unable to venture out into the world.
We all face setbacks and challenges in our lives. Aside from personal and financial challenges, unexpected events can range from simple accidents to natural disasters. I often try to handle each occurrence with a positive outlook and focus on what is most important. No matter what challenges life produces, I always do what I can to remain calm and prepared. I also try to keep extra essentials on hand. This can be anything from medicine and food to toiletries and cleaning products. A good habit to have is to watch for sales that come and go. If finances allow, and the items are non-perishable, it’s useful to buy an extra item to store and rotate. This helps to have peace of mind so there is less to worry about during a crisis. Like many others, my plans were affected when I found myself unable to go to work, go to the coffee shop or visit the gym due to the crisis that affected everyone around the world. My full-time employment turned into part time hours that I now clocked at home. To maintain my workflow, I created a specific workspace for my employer and maintained my daily schedule despite the loss of hours. I still wake up early, prepare for work and attend to my tasks as I would when leaving for work. This allows me to maintain the mindset for attending to each assignment and prevents me from letting the distractions of home affect my productivity so I can return to work in the future without losing my focus. Exercise and healthy living is a challenge without the ability to venture out into hiking trails, parks or accessing a gym. To exercise, I’ve taken outings around my neighborhood, taking advantage of stairs when I could to raise my heart rate and increasing my pace as needed. I’ve also returned to push ups and sit ups as both can be done without equipment. Stretching continues to be essential and I always recommend pre and post stretching for any exercise regimen. Every emergency is unexpected. We don’t plan for an injury, bad weather or dangers from an illness. However, it is vitally important to face each challenge with a plan. Stress is often caused by a loss of control in life. Some things are beyond our control. The weather and sickness are constant reminders. To deal with these challenges, the best way I’ve discovered is to plan a response. For bad weather, I keep battery powered lights on hand, dried foods and other common prepper items. For sickness, I have cold medicine, vitamin C tablets and plenty of nourishing foods to help me fight a bug as best I can. As long as I have something to help with a crisis, I have some control and the sense of control is what keeps away feelings of distress or depression. Most of all, a positive mindset is essential. Each of us needs to maintain emotional well-being. This can be done by staying in touch with friends and family or reaching out to online communities. We all face challenges and can always use an encouraging word to help us in a time of need. Another tool that is needed for difficult times is humor. When difficult times have come, I have often turned to comedy shows, sitcoms and movies that bring a smile to my face. Sometimes getting out of our own situation will help raise our spirits and make each day that much better. As I mentioned, my work has been reduced by about half. This has added to my time. Reading is a great way to pass the time. A good book can carry us away from our troubles and guide us to an adventure between the pages. Other activities to consider when time is in abundance can include drawing, playing board games, video games, working on puzzles, watching online videos, listening to podcasts or taking online courses. Many courses are available for free and I’ve always found value in developing a new skill. Writing is my passion so I will always enjoy sitting down to craft new stories, plan out new podcasts or work on ways to share my worlds. Ideas can be found anywhere. I sometimes select an object from my room and try to craft a story from it. I often look out the window and imagine various scenarios taking place in the world before me. Could a person outside be an unseen hero? Might the beam of light through the clouds reveal a secret? Perhaps the ground we walk on contains a hidden world beneath our feet. Inspiration can come from anywhere and I am grateful to be among those who look for it. We will all face challenges in our lives. The key to overcoming each setback and obstacle is to maintain a hopeful mindset, focus on what matters most and look beyond the problems at hand to the solutions we can find. As long as we continue looking for solutions, success will always be possible. Never let negativity or sadness stay in your mind. Find humor, find laughter and find the connections that make every day the adventure we want to live.