Taking control of your day-to-day life is always a worthwhile and admirable goal. The current acute worldwide threat of COVID-19 has created some opportunities for positive goal setting despite misery, morbidity, and mortality. The world is not going back to the past, and neither should smart people.
Although COVID-19 prevalence is not distributed evenly across the world, many motivated conscientious folks have altered their day-to-day activities. Initially, most everyone was optimistic that the crisis would be short-lived, thus permitting a resumption of normal activities. Unfortunately, pockets of intense prevalence migrating from community to community persist. Of note, while many areas of the country have not been severely affected, their residents could be anxious about the future.
Given the new reality, setting creative, appropriate goals for personal physical and mental health becomes an opportunity. Being positive rather than passive enhances resilience, facilitating an escape from the current disruption.
Instead of feeling “stuck” at home, consider changing your environment by refreshing, redecorating, or reorganizing. Many home projects from cleaning to repainting have been accomplished during the past few months.
Rather than being overwhelmed by the unimagined extension of the noxious threat, consider new productive activities to give you a sense of accomplishment. Reading sidelined books, learning new skills, enjoying old hobbies, and generally redirecting time and energy saved by not commuting can be worthwhile. Participating in a “pity party” only exacerbates misery.
Try to become motivated. Getting started to exercise is usually much harder than the actual workout. Or, sometimes just starting an activity first can motivate you later, thereby creating a good habit. Exercising daily, eating well, learning continually, volunteering or teaching virtually, sharing actively, and a host of other exemplary activities are just some ideas to spark additional purpose and energy.
The dread of starting a project can be overcome by just taking small steps in the right direction. Putting on your workout gear, starting to write the first paragraph, or getting groomed to socialize virtually can result in a release of endorphins, an engaging book, or making new friends, respectively. Just trying a new activity in these unusual times can help overcome the ennui of isolation.
Motivation can lead to action, and conversely, action can lead to motivation. Which comes first often depends on one’s personality. Regardless, motivation and action together create productivity, leading to a positive feedback loop.
As regions of our nation brace for the next onslaught, setting personal goals will be even more important. The initial emotional response to the short-term threat has evolved into the new reality—the current situation will persist for an unknown time.
Although a challenge, setting daily, weekly, and monthly goals will make a difference. Keep a “to-do” list that you evaluate and refresh every evening, preparing for a clean start the next morning. Keep track of overall progress, knowing that it will not be perfect; but ultimately you will feel better and be healthier as this current chapter in our lives evolves.