Quarantine lessons: that’s the post (I never thought I would write a post with this theme).
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard people express their excitement about things returning “back to normal.”
But I’ll be honest with you – that’s the last thing I want.
Let’s state the facts: quarantine ain’t easy. We never thought we’ll be living a situation like that, and it has definitely been a challenge for us all.
However, I can’t avoid thinking that it was also a period of great learning. During my reflections, these 4 lessons stood up in my mind, and I felt like sharing with you in this article today.
They will follow me for a long time after this is all over, and maybe, they can be valuable for you too. Shall we?
Lesson #1 of quarantine: your plans can go to the drain in a minute
I know, this sounds a little pessimist, but it’s a truth that I and lots of people learned during this time.
COVID-19 really changed so many projects and planning we made, and suddenly, we saw ourselves changing the route to survive in this new reality.
This taught me to not stay so attached to my plans. It’s great to dream and project, but it’s also important to know that things change, and that’s ok. Sometimes, you’ll have to go with the flow.
This is especially relevant if you have a business that’s had to pivot during COVID-19. If the things you used to do aren’t working, this is a good time to pivot your business. Use this time to try new things and experiment. Not everything you try out will work. And that’s okay. It may take multiple attempts to figure out what works for you. There has never been a better time to try something new. Resisting change halts progress – embracing change stimulates growth.
Don’t resist change. Adapt along with it.
Lesson #2 of quarantine: Flexibility and kindness is key
Together with the first lesson I learned, for real this time, how important flexibility is, especially for businesses.
Quarantine made us move to online, practice home office integrally, and change our social interaction from physical to virtual. So many changes in a short time.
Even though my company already worked online and I always work from home, I had to adapt myself to the scenario. If I had just stayed in the same way I was doing things, it wouldn’t work.
COVID-19 may have rocked our world – but it’s something nearly all of humanity is going through together. I’ve been so impressed and moved by the simple acts of kindness I’ve seen from friends, family, and even strangers on the Internet. When you focus on the good, the good gets better. When you look outside yourself and serve someone else, your problems seem to matter a lot less.
Kindness goes beyond just giving someone a compliment or writing a thank-you note. Sometimes, kindness means fighting for change and speaking up against injustice.
Make it a point to always be kind. You never know what someone else is going through – especially during these trying times. Be generous on every occasion. I promise you’ll never regret it.
Changes are never easy, that’s for sure. But they are crazily necessary for some periods, so exercise your flexibility and kindness as much as you can.
Lesson #3 of quarantine: Boundaries are everything
How many times have you said to yourself, “I’m too busy to do this,” or “I wish I had the time to do that”? Here’s the thing: we all have the same 24 hours in a day. But what you do with it is up to you.
During the pandemic, many of us found ourselves with more time. Time to daydream, create, reflect, and plan. But as life starts to pick up speed again, you don’t have to surrender all of that time. Be intentional with the way you plan your day. Think carefully about the things you’ll start doing and the things you’ll stop doing.
Along with that, be careful about who you let back into your circle. Continue to keep your distance from people and relationships that aren’t healthy for you.
You have the ability and power to make decisions in every area of your life. You are responsible for your happiness, your friendships, and your job. If you don’t like them and want to change them — you can.
Setting limits to yourself and others is a great practice at any time but in quarantine? Girl, they become essential.
Don’t get into the workaholic spirit!
By staying at home, we tend to overwork, always feeling we didn’t achieve enough, we didn’t put that many hours.
This workaholic mindset can lead us to depression, anxiety, and other mental conditions. Not to say the physical damage they can do for us too.
I was passing through this, and within every day that passed, I felt more and more consumed by the need to always be busy. That’s when I set some boundaries.
I informed all my clients about my work hours, told family and friends about my routine, and defined what times I would be answering my phone.
Just by making these small acts, I saw myself lighter, without that insane amount of pressure I was feeling before.
If you don’t do it yet, set boundaries. They can save you.
Number #4: Life can be good in all moments
Even during a pandemic. I know that quarantine hasn’t been a fun walk in the park. While many of us didn’t even get the chance to stay at home, others were losing loved ones, jobs were being lost, a terrible scenario.
I was seeing all of this in the news and after some time, I caught myself in a negative spiral, thinking of all the horrible things that were going on in the world.
This is where I realized I need to change my point of view. Yes, many problems were happening, but so many great things happened at this time too.
I started to feel grateful for the small things, like maintaining my health, having a comfortable house to quarantine in, being able to contact my friends online.
That’s why I say life can always be good. At all times, there will be sad and happy events, but you can choose the ones you’ll focus on.
Life isn’t about work or money or even success. In the end, relationships are truly what matters most. As life starts to get busier, make sure you’re devoting time to what’s most important. Give your family, friends, and loved ones the gift of your time. Love your family (and yourself) enough to say no to things that aren’t a priority. Be intentional about your relationships and invest the time to nurture them.
That was my quarantine lesson! What lessons has this unprecedented time taught you? How are you planning on changing your perspective or your habits as life starts picking back up again? I hope I could pass my message in some way, and if you identify with any, comment here.
Leave a Reply