The 2020 coronavirus situation took us all by surprise. Most didn’t expect the virus to take on such global proportions, affecting businesses, families, and the global economy worldwide.
I’m not a doctor or medical expert – other than reminding you to be careful and wash your hands often, this is not a post about the physical aspects of this horrible virus (if you have the virus, please consult a doctor immediately and take care of yourself as much as you can). With that said, I am a leadership expert. This post is all about how to approach the quarantine as a leader and with the right mindset, particularly for those who aren’t sick while in quarantine.
Increase Your Consciousness and Transcend the Situation
Yes, the coronavirus is a very bad situation of global proportions. With that said, it’s largely out of your control. Instead of cursing the quarantine and your unexpected situation, you can increase your consciousness and transcend the situation. You do that through meditation and introspection, as well as making good use of the time you have.
I’m not saying this as a way to “motivate” you. I’m encouraging you to literally, in reality, use this situation to your advantage. You have an opportunity to do things that you might never have had the time or space to do otherwise. Here are some things to consider that could enrich your life for the better:
- Read, including both fiction and nonfiction. Those books you never seem to have time for? Now’s your chance. I, for one, am digging into some Stephen King novels and enjoying them.
- Write. This can include both writing in a journal for the purposes of reflecting, as well as writing articles, blog posts, or even a book.
- Meditate and/or pray. As I touched on above, this is a great way to calm your mind. You activate higher consciousness through practices like meditation, prayer, solitude, yoga, Tao, etc.
- Create an in-home workout routine. Don’t use the closing of the gym as an excuse to stop working out. There are still plenty of opportunities to get your proper daily exercise both inside and outside of your home, including going for a walk or run. Involve your family members in this, if possible.
- Explore your passions and hobbies. What are things you love to do, regardless if you get paid for them or not? Could these be things you may want to put more time into in the future, even when the dangers of the coronavirus have faded away?
- Learn a new language. I’m living in the Netherlands now and I started learning the language in late 2019. I still have a long way to go until I reach fluency, but I’m no longer a total newbie and I passed some of the basic levels. Why not work on a new language of your choice, and then travel to a country/location where that language is spoken in the future when you have a chance to do so? You’ll look back on the quarantine in a positive way.
- Spend time with the people you love. If you and your loved ones don’t have the virus, why not spend time with one another playing games? I’ve been playing all sorts of fun games these past few months, including everything from Monopoly and Yahtzee to Scrabble and Solo (in case you’re wondering, Solo is a Dutch card game that is quite enjoyable).
- As a reward to yourself, watch some Netflix, Disney+, Amazon Prime Video, and/or Apple TV Plus!
The list goes on and on, and I’m sure you can think of more to add. My intention here was to get your creative juices flowing so that you use this time to your advantage. I genuinely believe, in my heart of hearts, that there’s a hidden opportunity in every setback. While I, like many others, wish this coronavirus situation never happened, the fact is that it’s here. It is what it is. Accept the situation totally, embrace it, and then use it as an opportunity to expand your consciousness while having fun.
What Changes Do You Need to Make?
Imagine that this situation has been sent to you as an opportunity to step back and re-examine your life. What changes do you need to make when things go back to “normal”?
It’s SO easy to fall into routines and bad habits that don’t really serve us or others. While you’re spending more time inside and with yourself, you have a chance to take a long and honest look at your day-to-day life over the past months and years. What are you doing well, and what do you need to do more of? And what are you doing badly that you need to change and do less of? These are powerful questions to ask because they keep you growing and moving forward. My advice: do what works and discard the rest.
If you weren’t “stuck” inside, you may not have had the time to really look at your life and see what needed changing. You can view it as a retreat in which your explore the inner recesses of your own psyche and soul.
This post is not a one-stop solution to a virus that brings such enormous challenges and complications. And if you have the virus, please get to a doctor immediately who can help you. With that said, the ideas and strategies outlined here encourage you to reframe the quarantine as a leader. After all, all leadership starts with leading yourself.
Thanks for reading, and please leave a comment below with your thoughts!
Jeff Davis is an award-winning leadership author.
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