Was living through a pandemic on your list of things to accomplish this year? I’m guessing no.

It's been a whirlwind for sure. Emotions are running high, ranging from frustration and anger to empathy and hope. Life has changed, a lot. It has not been easy.

The thing is, we’ve had a lot of time to evaluate what’s important in our lives. I discovered a few things along the way, and I’d like to share what I learned in hopes that I can help others get through this uncertain time.

Focusing is hard

Have you had trouble focusing through all of this? I know I have. I realized that when I have limited time to focus on tasks at hand—in-between meetings and jobs for example—it’s pretty to easy to focus on things in smaller blocks of time.

But when I have nothing but time…whoa.

When business came to a complete halt for me, establishing structure was essential. Putting things on the calendar, even small things like checking email or writing social media posts, was the key. I blocked out time for everything I wanted to accomplish, even scheduling time for breaks and walks around the neighborhood.

Before I knew it, I was no longer staring at a big empty calendar. My days were full! It sure helped me stay on track.

There is way too much information out there

Advisories and press conferences and angry social media posts…oh my! Information overload is a very real thing.  

Limiting the time you’re exposed to all of that can do wonders for your well-being. Put the phone down, turn the TV off. Maybe allow yourself to watch the news once every couple of days (let’s face it, nothing important is changing that fast anyway). You’ll be a lot less stressed.

Hey, there’s always the option of online education to pass the time…

Holy information overload again, Batman!

With companies offering free classes for a limited time it’s tempting to take advantage of every single one of them. This is another place to limit your consumption as well. I don’t know about you, but my brain can only hold so much new information and then it just shuts down. Deciding to focus on a few new things to learn helped me feel less overwhelmed.

Human contact is essential

On the surface, my life didn’t change all that much. Living alone and working from home involves a certain degree of isolation that isn’t for everyone. It can be a challenge for sure.

But this level of isolation—now that’s something entirely different.

Missing the freedom of going out whenever you want and doing everyday things like meeting people for lunch or shopping or walking in the park can wreak havoc on your psyche. I miss my networking events and hanging out with friends more than anything.

Video meetings and get-togethers can do wonders for filling that connection gap. Interacting with people in some way is essential, be it on phone calls or virtual networking or family dinners around the table.

Try setting a goal for some sort of connection every day. It can be as simple as sending a text to a friend. Even the most introverted people need to interact with people from time to time. It may take a little more effort right now, but it’s worth it.

Remember that this too shall pass. We’re all in this together and there will be light at the end of the tunnel, even though we’re not sure when. Figuring out how to live and work better now is going to pay huge dividends down the road.