10 Strategies to Help You Keep Working and Living During COVID-19

Try this perspective shift. Instead of seeing “social distancing” and travel bans as panic, try seeing them as acts of mass cooperation intended to protect the collective whole. This plan is not about individuals going into hiding. It's a global deep breath...an agreement between humans around the planet to be still. Be still, in hopes that the biggest wave can pass without engulfing too many of the vulnerable among us. 

- Dr. Lindsay Jernigan

More information can be found at https://www.socialchangeleaders.net/episode/027

There is great uncertainty right now in our world with the COVID-19 outbreak.  People are isolating in order to ‘flatten the curve’ and do their part to level out the infection rate and keep our medical system from being unable to handle the demand.  It is unknown how long it will last and what the damage will be a result. But there are some things that remain known. Your mission and the social challenge you are addressing will still be prevalatest.  The work you are doing still matters. The world still needs your voice and your work.  

Co-host Stephanie Malon-Rufi has spent over 15 years working with nonprofits, start-up social businesses and social enterprises.  She has worked with many leaders who have had to work in the face of uncertainty, make key decisions in hard times and develop strategies to allow enterprises to survive and thrive.  And she already works virtually! In this episode, you will hear her 10 strategies to try out during the recent COVID-19 outbreak as many of us are ‘social distancing.’ 

1. Go Virtual! Find virtual ways to offer your revenue-generating services.  Get creative. Innovate! Lessons, meetings, coaching sessions, classes – these can all be done virtually.  Give it a try!
2. Work ON your enterprise! I know I have a list of projects I want to do for my business.  And these are projects that actually are going to help me to grow.  Do you have some? For example, map out your content, learn a new social media platform, write your email nurture sequence, etc.
3. Reduce news intake! It is important to be updated on what is happening but also important not to get sucked into the 24-hour news cycle.  it is distracting and anxiety-producing.  
4. Learn and grow with books!  Currently I am reading Contagious Culture by Anese Cavanaugh and Infinite Mindset by Simon Sinek.  And I have a lot more ready to go. What book are you reading? 
5. Listen to podcasts!  Social Change Leaders Podcast has been releasing episodes weekly, we have 26 so far!  Take a listen to some of our episodes.
6. Boost your immune system!  Sleep, avoid eating and drinking sugar, get vitamin D, take a daily probiotic and drink water.  
7. Get outdoors!  You can still get fresh air and take a walk outside, visit a park.  Move your body. This is also a great way to combat some of the fear and anxiety that this situation brings.
8. Look for the good!  In times like these there is a lot of good happening.  Make sure you are paying attention. You can even keep a list of what you notice each day.
9. Be the good!  What can you do or offer during this time?  It can be offering to shop for an elderly neighbor, so they don’t have to go out.  It could be having consistent phone calls with loved ones who live elsewhere. Have your kids draw pictures to mail to nursing homes since visitors are banned right now.  Do you have a helpful product that you can give away to those in need? Spend some energy and time on creating good in this situation.
10. And if you have kids spending more time at home…. co-create a daily schedule, work together to brainstorm ideas of what they can do, have them help keep the house clean…..Work Together!

We referenced: Genuine Impact

Learn more about working with Stephanie here