10 WAYS TO THRIVE DURING COVID-19
Tips to keep a positive mindset during a crisis
Tips to keep a positive mindset during a crisis
Typically the Meetingmax team would be finishing up last minute tasks for our user conference, packing our bags to move into our host hotel for the week, and getting ready to greet our Unconvention attendees and welcome them to Vancouver. With COVID-19, everything has been flipped on its head.
In the spirit of our core values (Make it Fun!; Own It.; Passion for People; Ingenuity Everywhere; Thirst for Learning) we’ve changed the Unconvention 2020 event theme from EduPLAYtion to EduSTAYtion as we’re all mandated to stay at home. In keeping with our core purpose of helping people find their tribes, we’d love to see what you’re up to over the next few days; Please share photos on social media with #EduSTAYtion and make sure to tag @Meetingmax.
Show Gratitude. A daily gratitude practice is one of the best tools to reframe your day. Quick! Say three things that you’re grateful for right now. Feels good, right? Another way to show gratitude is to give thanks to our frontline workers (medical staff, food supply staff, and more). In Vancouver, residents cheer on health-care workers from their balconies every evening at 7:00pm (traditionally shift-change for hospital staff).
Passion for People. Chances are your inbox has been flooded with emails about event cancellations due to COVID-19, hotel cancellation requests, and so on. Brighten someone’s day by sending a ‘thinking of you’ or ‘checking-in’ email to show them that you care.
Ingenuity Everywhere. From hotels pivoting to offer day rates to accommodate office closures, to others deciding to complete renovations during the shut-down, there’s strategic opportunity amid this crisis. How can you think strategically in this situation?
Set Boundaries. Most of us are new to working from home. It’s very easy to slide into a situation where you’re suddenly working all hours of the day. Set boundaries for when it’s work-time and when it’s home-time. Schedule time for what matters most to you, be it exercise, meditation, or taking 5 minutes to yourself.
Celebrate the Small Wins. At Meetingmax we’ve started a #good_news slack channel to share any small wins or good news we stumble across throughout the day. This is a great resource to refer back to when feeling low.
Thirst for Learning. There are a lot of amazing resources available online to learn something new. Audible is offering free books for kids out of school. Unconvention keynote, Roger Haskett, has an insightful video series on how to Build Resilience Now. And of course, TED Talks are always inspiring (and free)!
Take the Pressure Off. We’re all dealing with a high level of stress right now, and it’s a natural reaction to want to prove our worth during this time by giving 110%. Know that it’s okay to take the pressure off and just do the best you can each day.
Maintain an Outward Mindset. The Arbinger Institute defines an outward mindset as when we see others as people who matter like we do. We take into account their needs, challenges, and objectives. We’ve likely all received a blunt, short email lately and it can be triggering. Try to remember that we’re all stressed out and respond from a place of compassion.
Own It. During a crisis it can feel as if you have no control over the situation. One thing that you can control is your mindset. These mindset shifts are really helpful to own the current situation. For example, shift the thought of “Everything is shutting down, I’m panicking” to “The most IMPORTANT places, such as medical centers, pharmacies, and grocery stores remain open.”
Make it Fun! While it’s important to stay informed, having CNN on 24/7 can cause minor anxiety. Set aside time for fun each day, whether that’s a solo dance party, playing where’s waldo- social distancing edition, or doing an online puzzle.