Ways Medium Has Been Helping Me With COVID-19

It’s been a long year. Medium has been a boon.

There has been recent news of increased infections across the globe and news of coming lockdowns locally. This whole COVID-19 thing has been an experience of long-term stress.

During the summer, I knew very few people who were affected by COVID-19. As winter approaches, I’m finding that more and more people closer to me are directly affected. A couple have even come down with it themselves.

The pandemic seems to be closing in.

Getting more personal.

So I welcome upcoming lockdowns and a return to stricter measures to minimize the impact of COVID-19 until a vaccine gets wide distribution. And I know that I will still be able to count on Medium as a source for encouragement, positivity, and useful advice for dealing with the pandemic — just as I have all this past year.

Medium as a source for support

It seems many of the writers I encounter on Medium have backgrounds in therapy, counseling, and similar fields. These folks have been just great.

Very few of them are bullshitting me by suggesting everything is fine.

No, they’re admitting these are challenging times. That it’s okay to feel anxiety and even depression.

And they’ve all offered tools for how to deal with stress and anxiety. That’s been great.

Other writers have shared ways in which we can use writing as a way to sort through feelings and anxieties about the pandemic. Artists of other stripes have shared their methods of coping.

If you’re ever feeling discouraged about what’s been going on in the world today, you’re likely to find on Medium someone whose writing offers positive, useful advice you can take advantage of.

Working from home

I’m an old hand at working from home, but I can always benefit from a good idea I’ve not encountered before.

Medium has more than its fair share of freelancers, and I think it’s here more than any other forum online where I’ve gotten some great tips on upping my productivity and work-from-home game.

When I’m done thinking about COVID-19 for a while and looking after family, I’ll browse and bookmark articles on how to work better, reach more potential clients, and more.

Pandemic or no pandemic, Medium is an invaluable tool for freelancers in all areas.

A forum in which to share back

I haven’t just been reading and taking things in. I’ve used Medium as an opportunity to share and give back as well.

Knowing that the world was about to see a massive influx in people working from home, I used my experience as a long-time freelancer to offer advice on working from home and staying productive.

I’ve also shared some of my thoughts on dealing with changes happening in the home. I’ve been freelancing at home for years — alone. Now my wife works from home, and it’s weird. I’ve written about that.

I’ve also written about how COVID-19 affects business, such as what to do while your business is shut down or how to handle home cybersecurity during the pandemic.

I’ve made a few bucks, sure, but I think the real value has been in participating in the group support during this stressful time. That, and I’ve been getting a lot more writing done in general.

(A quick caveat)

Medium doesn’t vet anything. They’ll label a COVID-19 related article with a disclaimer, but that’s about it. Individual publication editors might vet the accuracy or value of a submitted article, but few are qualified epidemiologists or similar professionals. Nor are they required to vet anything. Most do, but always remember that it’s optional.

In short, understand that not all Medium articles are of equal value. You’re going to have to use your good judgment to decide if a piece is useful to you or not.

What’s coming next

With new increases in infection, many places are looking at renewed lockdowns and a return to the early days of the pandemic. People really only have themselves to blame, although here in the US, it hasn’t helped to have a federal government that has bungled an effective response from beginning to end. We’re hopeful things will be better next year as a new administration takes over.

But all that aside, lockdowns are likely returning — just in time for the holiday season.

I fully expect a new crop of articles offering useful advice and hopeful insights I can draw from. I’ll do my part and offer advice and support in what arenas I feel I can help.

We’re all in this together.

Medium as a worldwide community

I dig Medium.

I may have some issues with how it’s run and some significant disappointments with some of the new policies, but what I get the most out of Medium is from its members more than its management.

I meet and share experiences with people from all over the world, and I’m discovering some real truth behind the adage of “more unites us than separates us.”

That this middle-aged white dude from a small New England town can have discussions on productivity, the creative process, cybersecurity, poetry, and more with folk from places as far from me as New Zealand, India, Turkey, Finland, and Singapore is impressive.

Sure, worldwise community building has been a thing on the Internet since its creation, but Medium does an outstanding job bringing thinkers together.

Keep it up, Medium community. You’re doing important work.

We’ll get through this crisis as we have gotten through past crises and will get through future crises.

We’re all in this together.

Thank you for reading. I’d love to share more with you via my Bi-Weekly Word Roundup newsletter sent to subscribers every other Sunday. It will feature news, productivity tips, life hacks, and links to top stories making the rounds on the Internet. You can unsubscribe at any time.