It’s hard to believe the kind of times we’re living in. We’re facing a pandemic which has compelled us to be locked down within the confines of our home and has taken thousands of lives all across the globe. It almost seems like a dream, or a movie. So surreal.

Today #stayhome is the trending hashtag, social meet ups have turned into social isolation, and self-quarantining is the only way to stay safe. While for some it might be a little more easier considering they can #workfromhome or are happy spending quality time with family, cooking, cleaning, singing, Netflix & chilling etc., for others it could be more stressful and depressing, considering they might just be stuck alone at home or have lost their jobs with no savings to pay the rent and other overheads. Honestly, thinking about it while I write this is giving me chills.

The coronavirus pandemic is a health and economic crisis, and that’s placing immense strain on the world’s financial system as well. The head of the International Monetary Fund said Friday it is clear that the global economy has now entered a recession that could be as bad or worse than the 2009 downturn.

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development has warned that the world will take years to recover from the coronavirus pandemic.

While the damages are inevitable, all we can do as responsible citizens is to curb it as much as we can. Sure most of us feel helpless right now and are rather worried about the repercussions, however there are few measures we can take now to decrease the impact it might have on not just our pockets but our physical and mental health as well. Here’s what we can do:

I. For those who had been working too hard earlier to not have any time for family must treat it as timeout and reconcile their relationships by spending quality time with their loved ones. Take care of your health and mental well-being. Take this as the time to reflect and ponder about what truly matters for us as humans to live a more fulfilling life.

II. Those who’re stuck in their homes alone could take up a new hobby, read e-books, write or indulge into other art forms, workout at home, take up cooking as a challenge and dish out new recipes every day, or brush up on any skills they might have left midway. The idea is to keep your brain cells and body in good shape (read:healthy). Treat it as a golden opportunity to indulge in your favorite hobbies. Not to mention stay in touch with your family & friends through social media and video calls.

III. Those who are stressed about losing their jobs and having to face this situation with no money in their pockets could try taking this time out for honing their skill-sets, writing a better CV, writing blogs about their area of expertise or just build their online presence for a better tomorrow when this is all over. You can’t change today but you can change your tomorrow. Start working on it. For the rest, there is help out there, ask for it.

IV. For those who’re experiencing anxiety and depression, this is perhaps the right time for you to start meditating, start a home workout regime or adopt yoga as a lifestyle. While these exercises do not work as medication, they definitely do help you in channelizing your thought process. Which further gives you more clarity to understand that you do not have any control over this situation, however you definitely have control over how to deal with it. Train your mind. Eventually it’ll all get over and we’ll be able to lead a normal life again. This time with all the more zeal. Look forward to that day! For the rest, writing your thoughts help.

V. The good news is that all of this happened at a time when we can still be digitally connected to our close ones and our goals. That takes me to those people who just can’t Netflix & chill. Those who are committed to everyday growth and anything other than that does not make them happy. Thanks to the invention of computers and internet that you still can utilize this time for further refining your business strategy, find new ways to market your product when we go back to business, build your online presence, use this time to make that everlasting impression on your customer’s mind, give a complete makeover to your website which you had been wanting to for a while or just make some new content to connect with your prospective customers. You have all the time in the world now to use creativity in your business. Bottom line – find new ways to get back to the game with refreshed energy.

VI. And, those who’re blessed with abundance, don’t forget to help the ones in need during these testing times.

We at Philia are committed to help in any way that we can for you to get through this phase. Our experts who are working from home and come from not just business and creative but psychology background too will be happy to help you with anything they possibly can. Go through our website and you’ll know which areas we can help you on. Feel free to call or write to us for further discussions.

Stay safe. Stay home.