I have to admit, everything shutting down because of the pandemic caused by Covid-19 has angered me. But I suppose that’s a normal reaction when a lot of important and happy moments are being cancelled. If your family is like mine and your kids are now staying home during Covid-19 because of school closures, you may be stuck wondering how you’ll cope. You may even been–like I am, justified or not–angry at such a drastic change to your schedule. I’ve put together a few ideas for you to help you see this as an opportunity instead of a curse.
Cooking at Home
With so much cancelled, you no longer have to be at your next appointment or drive the kids halfway across the city 10 times a week. So start cooking.
Often, the path to improved health is through better cooking. However, when we look at recipes that say 30 minutes, we know they’ll take us at least an hour that first time through. Now you have that hour. Use it! If your kids are home with you, this is also a great opportunity to teach them a few new kitchen skills, too.
If anything, use your time at home to improve your overall health. This is not a guarantee that you won’t get sick! But improved health will help you in so many areas of your life anyway. Take the opportunity now to focus on it.
Clean Your Home During Covid-19
Yes, I know, I know. Getting kids to clean is perhaps one of the most challenging tasks in the western world. However, getting your kids to help with extra cleaning will teach them what to do in similar situations when they are older. (We will have pandemics in the future.)
They’ll also better understand how to run a household, no matter how small or large your home is. Use this time to teach them tidying, maintenance, and cleaning tasks they haven’t learned yet.
And throw in some random math drills while you’re at it.
Reading About Things Besides Covid-19
I’m an author, so I’m sure you knew this suggestion was coming 😊. You likely have a to-be-read pile at home that could use some digging into. Of course, you can also try a new series. The one plug I’ll put in for myself: I’ve had feedback from a few parents who enjoy reading the books to their kids, because they appeal to readers of almost all ages (10-90s, so far as I’ve heard).
But that’s all I’ll say about my books.
If you’re trying to teach your kids a second language in the household, reading together in that language is another task you can do during these few weeks. For example, if you normally need about 15 minutes to get your kids from the bus stop or school, set the time aside to read to them in your foreign language.
If you have a membership at your local library, ask about their e-library. For example, my local library uses OverDrive, and there are lots of books there to download and borrow for free. The bonus: you don’t have to worry about overdue charges. However, you may need to expand your taste: it’s very possible that the popular titles will be borrowed quickly because hundreds of thousands of us are at home looking for entertainment. (Think of it like the old days of TV, when you only had 28 channels.)
Improve Your Business
If you’re working from home during Covid-19 quarantines, your business may continue as usual. Of course, that depends on what you do: if you consult outside of your home, there’s a good chance your calendar may suddenly clear itself. Or, if some of your clients rely on income from bricks & mortar stores and their now non-existent shoppers, then your clients may not need as much work from you. That also means less money.
Don’t let that get you down.
I was really upset at first when three of the markets that I had planned to sell my books at this season cancelled. But if I’m honest with myself, people are so scared of catching this virus that there’s a good chance nobody would have come out anyway. Instead, I’m going to use the time I would have spent selling books to focus on digital sales, attracting new freelance clients, and possibly experimenting with webinars.
My message is the same to you: having a downturn in your business is no fun, and I’m certainly scared that I may experience it myself. However, now is the perfect time to make those changes I’ve been putting off in my business, to learn things I’ve been wanting to learn, and to basically refresh everything.
You can do the same. Explore your creativity, maybe try something new (like writing 😊) and refresh your business. You have the time right now.
Use Your Covid-19 Vacation Time to Renew Yourself and Your Family
Please don’t get me wrong: having to stay home during Covid-19 is no joke. But we can only get through this pandemic if we see the lighter side whenever possible. This situation is more than frustrating, but it is what it is, and panicking about it isn’t going to help anyone. Maintain a vigilant hygiene practice and follow any advice from public health officials. But also look upon these quarantines as extended spring-cleaning times. Spring cleaning is always associated with getting rid of winter’s grasp and letting in the spring. Get creative with your kids, use the free time to renew your home and your business, and take the time to teach your kids extra skills. When the time finally comes for life to begin returning to normal, you’ll be ready to go.
