The Positives in the Negatives - Surviving the 21 day Lockdown

I have been working from home since Tuesday and I didn’t exactly know how to get going with working. Firstly, I did not have a desk in my room and considering I have a very busy 7 year old, I needed a quiet place aka as my room aka my sanctuary aka my favourite place to be now in my 30’s.

So early on Tuesday I drove to a few places looking for a desk. Funny enough, one furniture store refused to sell me a desk that was on the floor. I would have to order it and still assemble it myself. So I drove to Cash Converters and almost purchased something that looked like a metal 2 tier rack but there was one more place to check. Eventually I found a good deal at R245 for a wooden desk that would fit in my room and I also got to bargain with the local delivery truck to get it to my door! Then there it was. My work station was ready.

The reason for that story is that I realised that a lot of people did not have an office space set up and were going to be frustrated at not having a quiet place to work. My work began and here I am getting a chance to share something. The positives in the negatives.

In all this hype about the shut down there has been some daily mantras that I have had to say in my head to keep calm. There has also been a lot that I have been learning and perhaps will learn in the days to come. Since I am in the recruitment industry the very first positive was that it was so much easier to get in touch with people from candidates to clients. Microsoft teams is really great! And you eat less (well I am eating less)

If you find yourself going crazy here are some things you can do. People like order. In SA recently, when the traffic lights were down, the street beggars were directing traffic including taxis! So that is why I think people like order. Here is my list and feel free to add to it:

• Pray – Pray for your family, pray for the world. Pray for your sanity.
• Keep a diary – whether it is a written journal or an online one, keep a diary. This pandemic is going down in history and I am sure the generations to come would like to understand how we really felt. I am currently using journal.cloud and recording my day and the stats on covid – 19. If you don’t have anyone to dump on, having a diary will keep you sane!
• Track the stats – having a graph tracking the stats will keep you looking forward to completing something and you can watch the graph peak then start to decline which will soon prove to be encouraging as this pandemic slows down
• If you are working from home, have a morning meeting everyday – It keeps you accountable and also you are forced to wake up and be productive.
• Set objectives for the day so no matter what, you have daily goals to achieve.
• Dress up – Ladies paint your nails, do face masks, put on make up and set your hair. Guys, trim the beard and wear your nice cologne from time to time
• Exercise – I am seriously lacking in this department but if you have an Instagram account there are a few personal trainers who have videos for home work outs.There may be a few Personal Trainers who can do with the income so check in to see if they can do "live at home" training.
• Meditate – Whether it is 2 min or 20 minutes, relax, switch off from the news and the covid -19 memes and just drift off.
• Stay connected – For those that can video call, now is the best time to get in touch with friends who have emigrated from the country or your life. Set a coffee date and sit in from of your screen like you were in a coffee shop.
• Reach out to your parents – You have no idea whether they will get ill or survive during this time so make the time count. My parents are in KZN and it is painful to be so far away- so more calls and video calls
• Learn to cook – I guess you have no choice here with restaurants being closed.
• Gardening – Learn how to use the seeds and roots from your fruits and veggies to get your own healthy garden going. You Tube has a lot to offer
• Read – well this must be a given but if you have been looking at the book on the shelf, go read it
• Learn – Use this time to up your skills with online courses. You are never too old to learn.
• Get on Smule  or Tik Tok – You can sing to yourself on Smule or get a karaoke going with friends. Tik Tok can keep you entertained. Either way, you will be laughing at yourself.
• Be a kid again – Whether you are having to deal with kids or not, get back to the time when we were not governed by the demands of life. Play a game of cards, marbles, drawing, painting etc. Yesterday I was showing my son how to shuffle a deck of cards! As I did it, I wondered why I didn’t do it before.
• Make a list of all the things you have in your cupboard and plan a weekly meal plan. That way you don’t overdo the budget.
• Sleep – no better time to rest. Sleep does wonders for you. It heals you in more ways that you know. You need an average of 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep to have your body heal. Try to keep your sleep schedule balanced. Wake up at the same time and go to bed at the same time.
• Watch series and movies – yes, popcorn and a good show will help you take your mind of the stress for a bit.
• Lastly wash your hands - Especially when you get back from going to the shops, wash your hands, get in the shower and get clean. Put on fresh clothes before you decide to sit anywhere!

That is all I can think of for now. I am not doing all of this because I have a routine with work. I hope this helps and makes life a bit easier. Stay safe everyone!!!