How To Survive a Global Crisis

It doesn’t matter where you are in the world, you are experiencing some level of crisis with the rise of the corona virus. Nearly every country is on a lock down and travel has ceased across the entire world. If you think about it, the last time that the world has collectively experience at the same dangerous challenge was World War ll. Since then there have been challenges and difficulties, but they have all been regional and specific. Since the war there hasn’t been a mutually experience global phenomenon. This is truly a historic time that will undoubtedly be remembered by all mankind globally. While not as dangerous as the war, this isn’t a very positive reason to all have an experience together. We are all getting through this together and there are a few things you should know and do to get through this difficult time better than ever.

Keep your wits about you

One of the biggest challenges about this whole issue with COVID19 is that the mental health of the general population of the world is in a difficult place. There has been a notable increase in depression, anxiety, paranoia, stress, and general fear in the minds and hearts of America and the world. There are a few basic tips you can follow that will keep you in a positive mindset and in good spirits. These can make all the difference for you.

1. Learn to focus on what you can control- Many people often get scared because it is nearly impossible to know if you have corona virus. There are a lot of unknown variables. Making sure that you are paying attention to the things you can control and doing your best at those.

2. Loneliness and isolation – a common issues that people face with being home all the time is facing loneliness and isolation, we as people do not handle these challenges well. Make time for your favorite people, don’t get in large groups but make time to get the social interaction you desperately need. Make sure and get some cardiovascular exercise daily. 45 minutes of an increased heart rate has been shown to have the same impact on the brain as an anti-depressant medication.

3. Always ON Mindset- We when working from home it is easy to get caught in a mindset of always being at work. Since your office is in many cases, just the kitchen table. Develop a routine for yourself that you follow every day and do your best to create a divide between different parts of your day. Have a ritual for when you end work, for when you wake up and go to bed etc. This allows you to be able to not feel like you are working all the time and have some semblance of order in your day to day.

Finances

One of the biggest concerns that people face with the rising pandemic is the economic hit that it has taken to the country and world. There are many jobs that have been lost and countless companies that will probably never come back from this downturn. Many people are extremely concern about how they are going to afford get through this. There are a few simple tactics you can employ to increase your chances of getting through this financially.

1. Get an emergency fund- How much you have in savings will be crucial for this pandemic. If you don’t already then quickly find a way to get a hold of at least 3 months’ worth of expenses, ideally more. I know this can be difficult but anything that you can do from donating plasma to selling belongings online. You will be in a very good place with a little cushion underneath you. If you receive a stimulus check, this is a great place to start with it.

2. In all possible ways, trim down your expenses. Cut down the number of times that you are eating out, stick to rice and beans at home whenever possible. Don’t drive as much as you would to lower to need to fill up on gas. Reach out to your landlord and ask them if you can do some upkeep on the property for a discount on your rent. Any and every dollar that you save is exponential. Maybe you save 10 dollars on your internet, that doesn’t sound like much but over a year that is 1,2000 dollars. Every dollar counts

3. Take advantage of opportunities- There are a few opportunities that you can take advantage of to help lengthen your time. You can file for unemployment which will give you a fair amount of money to last for a while. If you are an employee or even a business owner, you can file for a Payroll Protection Program loan (PPP loan). Which is a loan that can be forgiven if you prove it was used for payroll or employee benefits. Many people have turned to a number of affordable personal loans.

This is a difficult and trying time, there are lots challenges that everyone is facing. We don’t really know what will happen next. Regardless of what happens, these are a few habits and actions step you can take that will make all the difference for you and the people you care about