This year was rough.
If you and your family weren't in harms way of the illness that surrounded the majority of the year, you still experienced the backlash from it.
We need to use this experience to learn and adapt to what could be (the dreaded phrase of) a 'new normal'.
Make time for family
This should be a given.
We all sometimes take for granted our everyday. With people stuck at home this has given us far more time to share with the ones we love. Unfortunately, these closures and isolation have kept us away from other people we love and care about.
We need to consciously make an effort to put the phone down and spend quality time learning about our family and friends. Reach out to those who may be struggling with the disassociation from the everyday world. Sitting outside the nursing homes our relatives are trapped in with a sign of hope. Any bit of effort to a friend or family member can make their whole day.
Enjoy the Simple Things
I recall the first time I went to the store after the initial 14 day shut-in... I was so excited to be outside. I even went through a drive-thru, rolled the windows down, and ate a burger in the car. I enjoyed the fresh air, the sound of cars speeding past, the possibility of life reemerging from the darkness of our collective living rooms.
The fear and confusion of life during a pandemic is extremely overwhelming. A walk through the neighborhood and a picnic in the car can really change your mood.
We Don't All Have to Work In the Office.
I am a prime example of this. I was living in Las Vegas, NV, when I got a job offer across the country. Well,.. Originally, the job was in Las Vegas. After a meeting with the local team they insisted I move across the country to do a job that could have easily been done from... well... anywhere. Many days I sat in the office twiddling my thumbs as I was 4 days ahead of my work-load. After my contract expired with this team I realized there can be easier ways for businesses to get work done without having the expense of an in-office employee. The quarantine of 2020 brought to light the idea of Digi-Buzz. I have helped small businesses in my past, going essentially door-to-door helping small businesses create a digital media strategy. I would stay with a business for a few weeks, to a couple months, and move on to the next. I loved helping and teaching businesses how to succeed in digital marketing. Many of these small businesses could not afford another employee for social media or digital marketing- they needed someone to wear many hats, as is the usual state for a small business. I realized I can help more than one business at a time while helping to stay within their budgetary requirements. With many people now making the move to remote offices, now seemed the ideal time to start Digi-Buzz! Working 24/7, from anywhere, to help anyone, with their social media! It may seem scary to not have your employees all work in the same office but it can save you a ton on overhead and assorted capital!
We don't know how long this could last. It may last another week, or it may be months, before we go back to a normal routine. In the meantime, take time to hug your kids, smell the fresh air, and put a laptop on the coffee table.