Living Through a Pandemic — A Mindful Guide

This pandemic is testing us.

Balancing fear and anxiety with compassion and calm is no easy task. We don’t know whether to blame people, be terrified, or try to make this a unique opportunity for growth. Truth is, we can do none — or all of those. There is no right way to feel during a pandemic.

But this will pass — here are 25 ways we can make the best of it until it does:

We can use this time to grow from our struggle. There will be much for us to learn as individuals and as a society.

We can all start taking COVID19 seriously — and #StayTheFHome — to flatten the curve and prevent a total overwhelm of our healthcare system.

Our government will have a lot to learn from this experience — we need accountability and a plan to act quicker next time.

We could enjoy the online #SocialSessions by the various artists pitching in — Chris Martin, Keith Urban, John Legend, and Gary Lightbody of Snow Patrol are a few of the artists that have taken to social media to entertain those of us sheltering in place.

We can hold accountable Congressmen who sold their stock early and illegally profited from this crisis. That’s a bunch of bullsh*t.

We can remember that this crisis brings out the best side of social media — we may be isolated, but we don’t have to be alone.

We can accept the situation we have, not the one we want. These are trying times, and most of us have never been through something like this before.

We can support small businesses and advocate for those of us hit hardest — small business owners, paycheck-to-paycheck people, and anyone else struggling financially from this crisis to get aggressive support from our leaders. More checks please and suspend rent payments and mortgages until we’re through this.

We can seek out and connect with those who are lonelier and more isolated than others.

We can advocate for our leaders to put partisanship aside and get through this crisis as humans.

We can expect our large companies to step up and make the protective equipment healthcare workers need without having to offer financial incentives.

We can enjoy time outdoors while sheltering in place. Nature is beautiful and essential to keep us grounded.

We can use this time to connect with ourselves and heal emotionally as well as physically. Plenty of time for mediation and yoga.

We can practice social responsibility — it’s not just about us. The choices we make as individuals have the power to save people or kill them.

We can practice compassion and empathy towards others — we don’t know how other people might be struggling.

We can practice gratitude. We aren’t happy when our liberties and freedoms are curtailed, but this too shall pass — and when it does we can be extra-grateful for what we have.

We can make time for good coffee and real conversations.

We can keep our sense of humor — laughter and memes are good medicine.

We can hope they find a vaccine quickly.

We can use the time at home to catch up on reading, writing, art, singing, exercising — and rediscover our passions.

We can learn to be more creative with money and resources — we can stretch them farther than we think.

We will learn a lot about ourselves and our society from this ordeal. I hope we address both our strengths and weaknesses revealed by this crisis.

We can reflect on our priorities — using the time to figure out what changes we might make in our lives, and how we want to live once this has passed.

We can practice our humanity — kindness, compassion, courage, and support — and let the best of us shine.

And let us remember to hold in our hearts the only thing that matters — Love.