Summary

The author describes a personal transformation from a reactive to a proactive lifestyle in response to the changes brought about by the pandemic.

Abstract

The article titled "A New Mindset Courtesy of a Virus" discusses the author's shift from a hectic, reactionary pre-pandemic life to a more structured, proactive approach during lockdown. Initially, the absence of external demands led to a period of aimlessness and depression. However, recognizing the need for change, the author adopted a proactive mindset, emphasizing self-care, helping others, maintaining social connections, and creating daily goals. This new structure has helped alleviate depression and provided a sense of purpose and gratitude.

Opinions

The author believes that the pandemic-induced lockdown necessitated a shift from reacting to external demands to taking control of one's own time and activities.
They express that the transition to a proactive lifestyle was challenging but essential for mental health and productivity.
The author values the importance of routine and structure but cautions against over-scheduling, advocating for flexibility within the daily plan.
Helping others during the pandemic, such as assisting with loan applications or encouraging friends to seek unemployment benefits, is seen as a key component of the author's new proactive approach.
The author emphasizes the significance of maintaining social connections through video chats and appreciates the role of technology in staying connected with friends and family.
Self-care, including basic hygiene, grooming, and exercise, is highlighted as a crucial element in feeling human and maintaining mental well-being.
The author suggests that setting aside time for creativity, such as writing

A New Mindset Courtesy of a Virus

Evolving from “reactive” to “proactive”

In my life, Before Virus, my schedule was uber-flexible. It had to be.

Dealing with 30 to 60 cast members and multiple other people on the production team for a stage production can be hectic, even hellish. Add to that the neverending changes to rehearsal schedules and the social dynamics involved, and you get a witch’s cauldron of conflicts and creativity.

And then the other responsibilities like picking up kids from school or delivering them to their extra-curricular activities, and your life becomes reactionary. Ergo, everything you do seems the result of somebody else needing you, and only you, to do it.

Eeking out time for me was a beautifully choreographed juggling act that tried to please all the people all the time. The time I needed for myself was often shifted to late-night hours when I was the least inclined to be productive, and all I really wanted to do was sleep or become a couch ornament.

None of that matters anymore. We’re in lockdown or stay-at-home or shelter-in-place or whatever you want to call it, our lives are anything but normal.

All of a sudden, nobody needed me to do anything, and I had all this me-time on my hands. I floundered like a fish out of water.

With no external events or demands driving my schedule, I evolved into this dysfunctional shadow of myself. I hated that evolution so much that I rolled into a ball of depression and despair. I didn’t know what the hell to do with myself. I admit it, I was scared.

I spent way too many hours staring at a screen with little purpose. Watching Netflix and texting friends and family is great, but at what cost? I became numb and indifferent to too many important things. Apathy reigned.

Since the problem was within my control, I felt the solution must be as well. Trying to parse the problem into words, to put it into a frame of reference I could understand, was the big challenge. I finally got it.

I was waiting for something to happen instead of making something happen. I had to become proactive instead of reactive.

I do not mean I want every minute of my day controlled by a calendar or schedule. But I do want structure as opposed to orchestrated chaos or randomness.

What does that look like in action?

Reaching out to others less fortunate than I. What do they need? Is there any way I can help, without compromising safety? I helped my landlord apply for a Paycheck Protection Plan loan, along with deferrals of car payments, etc. I encouraged another friend to apply for unemployment when she thought she wasn’t eligible.

Spending more time via video links, talking with friends and groups of friends. I didn’t realize how much I missed our get-togethers. I think we all are more thankful than ever for the friendships we share. Being thankful cannot be overstated.

Spending more time via video links, talking with immediate family. Oddly, we didn’t do this Before Virus. My grand-kids are amazing troupers, adapting to online school pretty decently. Their Mom and Dad are both working remotely. Again, very thankful.

Spending more time being creative. Whether it’s articles for Medium or other creative ideas doesn’t matter. Spending time doing it is what counts.

Turning my alarm for 7:30 AM back on, and getting out of bed then (as opposed to rolling over and sleeping in until 9:45 AM.)

I am taking the time to care for myself. Yeah, basic hygiene and grooming go a long, long way toward making me feel more human. If you’ve neglected your self-care, try spending time on video chats where you have to “clean up” to be presentable for whatever reason. It works.

Daily, over or just after breakfast, I jot down the 2 to 4 things I’d like to accomplish that day — or at least make some progress. I then map out the chunks of time I want to allocate for each item. It doesn’t have to be fancy. It just has to be done. If there’s a 20-minute nap on that list, so be it. Naps are good.

I’m contacting business clients to see if they’re still up and running, and if so, is there anything they need from me? Many things can be done remotely.

I’m reserving specific times for exercise. I cannot emphasize this enough. I don’t do hardcore workouts like some, but I do enjoy walking as exercise. It frees your mind while doing wonders for the body. Two 30-minute walks a day seems about right for me.

There is still plenty of time for streaming entertainment and educational content, with the caveat that it’s lights-out at 11 PM (this was actually the hardest thing to implement.) There is so much content and so little time.

All of this puts the structure back in my life. My depression has lifted. The structure isn’t so rigid that I rebel against it. That was crucial to success.

The takeaway is there has been a fundamental change in my world, so there had to be a fundamental change in me. I hope this insight can be of help to you as well.