Most people, including myself, came into 2020 with the grandest of plans and highest of hopes for better lives, better jobs, better health, more money and even vacations planned within the year.

January and February may have felt like launching pads with March being the take-off month! Hello Corona! We are literally grounded on the runway with lots of plans being put on hold, including travel that is not deemed necessary.

Don't get me wrong, depending on their industries, there are lots of people raking in tonnes of money and having lots of opportunities even with this calamity but there is also the majority who's lives have changed due to the restrictions of movement and usual routines. This is where the frustration comes in. Can life really go on?

I absolutely think so. Of course it is not business as usual but we must adapt coping mechanisms to ensure that this darkness does not engulf us, especially folks in urban areas without areas for free roaming.

Apart from observing government guidelines and being a responsible citizen, you must look out for your individual sanity, stability and growth. Take advantage of the cabin fever to do things that you will thank yourself for in the months to come.

Here are a few ideas in no particular order;

1. REST. Take a chill pill. The grind has many of us going like hamsters, hardly taking a break. This is the time to stop drinking coffee (you don't need it anyways) and get some sleep as much as possible. Your body and mind will thank you. Imagine indulging in over 7 hours of sleep daily. Since when? Well, here we are! Sleep and rest. Recover and heal from the effects of the daily grind.
2. READ. You know the books you keep saying you will get round to reading, the ones you look at wistfully before being dragged into the endless vagaries of life? Pick one, immerse yourself in it and please share comments where possible. You can join an e-book club too to keep up the momentum. This is also another way to cultivate your social capital while sharpening your mind.
3. CONNECT. This is the time to cultivate relationships with family and friends. It's time to actually respond to messages from your loved ones. Engage (positive) people who you normally don't have sufficient time to speak meaningfully with. Call an old friend. Play with your kids, find out new things about them. Ask your parents what their lives were like at your age.You'll be surprised what people can share when prompted, plus it will provide material for your good memories bank. You can also do a sing-off with your family members.
4. HELP. Please help out around the house if you live with others. It will get your blood moving and help to relieve some of the corona tension in the air. You can fold laundry, clean the house, bake a mean cake, do a grill, etc Whatever you do will engage your hands and mind and add to the greater good. Apart from helping physically, you can offer to help someone with their assignment, homework, if you are healthy enough to run errands for others who are not able to, please go ahead and do so. Giving a helping hand does wonders for human relations.
5. STUDY. There are a million online courses to choose from and improve your craft no matter your area of interest. If you have access to Wi-Fi and a computer at home, this is the time to spend at least an hour a day learning and getting better in your work. Most of these courses actually have quizzes and when you successfully complete them, you get a certificate which you can then add to your resume and present as part of your qualifications. You can ask others to join you in the learning spree so you have give each other the morale to keep going.
6. PERSONAL REBRANDING. A friend told me that she is using this time to rebrand and get her health back. She has started working out, cooking for herself and sleeping more. She is also restyling her look in terms of ideas and designs. She is determined to come out of this quarantine looking and feeling gorgeous. Kudos to her, I may just join her bandwagon.
7. BUSINESS REBRANDING. It may just be the time to redo your website, your social media pages, design merchandise to sell on your e-shop where relevant, engage your audiences via infographics, vlogs, blogs and Q & A sessions, build relationships that will benefit your brand now and in future. So much can be achieved during this down time. Do what is relevant for your business and have a form of business continuity even now.
8. FINANCES. Advice from financiers around the world is for people to limit their spending on necessities and basically watch their coins. Something else, for those with active loans, confirm that interests have been frozen to cushion borrowers. Also, find out what you need and how much you can safely borrow to tide you over in this period.
9. EMPLOYMENT. For those employed and can work from home, take this time to get on top of your work tasks. Those documents that you have been putting off writing or editing, give it a go, make yourself proud. For those seeking jobs, use this time to search, even add 'remote' to your jobs filter. You just never know what you may come by.
10. DEBTIQUETTE. Remember to honour debts. Restructure payments where possible. This will keep you in good books even after the storm is over. Ask for the in duplum rule to be applied where applicable. Be proactive, don't wait to be chased about payments,
11. DECLUTTER. Take charge of your physical, virtual and mental spaces and take out what you don't need. Sort out your wardrobe, your pantry, your storage boxes, etc Delete e-mails, old e-books, contacts that you don't need anymore, dead e-mail addresses, photos, videos and unsubscribe from mailing lists that now seem like spam to you. Forgive and let go of past offences. It is not easy but it healthy. Anything taking up space and is not useful must go! Be ruthless about it too. Your spirit will be recharged just from the decluttering. This works for everyone.
12. MEDITATE. Zen is not a moment. It is a lifestyle. Spending time in prayer and meditation has proven to have longterm calming effects, helping people stay stable in tumultous times such as these. Carve out time to consistently be alone in meditation. You and your loved ones will be better for it.
13. BE KIND. This is the time to be polite and kind to all around you. We are all scared witless but biting off other people's heads will not make the situation better at all. We can't be up againt corona and still be unkind to others. One struggle at a time!

Lastly, remember that this too shall pass and life will go on! Stay safe and see you on the other side.