With COVID-19 now classified as a pandemic by WHO, many are doing what they can to help slow the spread of the virus. Local governments are enforcing bans based on certain gathering sizes, businesses are encouraging their employees to work from home, events are being cancelled, and individuals are in self-quarantine to participate in “social distancing”.
If you’re anything like me, all of these changes in day-to-day life feel unsettling and eerie at best. With the simplest and most mundane activities altered, and chilling news headlines splashed all over the internet, I find myself spiraling into a big ball of anxiety. And that can make it so hard to focus on anything productive.
It also doesn’t help that the sunny Portland, OR forecast is taunting us from our homes. (Though, it is good for my sun-tolerant plants!)
Recently, someone close to me shared how important it is to keep spirits high in uncertain times like these. So I’ve been doing my best to find the humor in all of this lunacy.
Obility’s Slack channel made it a whole lot easier to find today. Bree, an Obility Customer Success Manager, posted a clever note with Coronavirus-related email signatures she came across in a post on Facebook this morning.
Her slack sparked a lot of creativity and laughs among the team.
Not all heroes wear capes – exhibit Noah.
Once I started laughing, I couldn’t stop. I came to the realization that what I needed was a little nugget of levity to breakup the mounting stress and anxiety. I needed to release some of the internal pressure that had been building. Once I did, I started to feel better and found myself able to work with more focus.
So give yourself grace and make time to release the built-up pressure, even at work. Find your daily or hourly nugget of levity. Take a walk around the house, cuddle up with your cat for a bit, send a silly video to a coworker, put on a movie or TV show that makes you laugh, dance to music that reflects the mood you want to be in – even if it’s not the mood you’re in currently. Once you do, you might be able to focus a little easier. Plus, stress reduction can help your overall health!
Remember to take care, stay healthy, find your nugget of levity when you can, and be kind to your neighbors during these strange times.
And if all else fails, sing this song to your cat/dog/plants/penny.
Self-Quarantined Regards,
Paige
P.S. Check out this project by Shine on Care For Your Coronavirus Anxiety, too.
