As many Hawai‘i residents have the ability to work from home, many, unfortunately, are not afforded that same luxury. The economic shift due to this pandemic has cost many people their jobs and financial security. Here's how one Maui resident decided to shift his mindset into making the most of this situation:

Jon was laid off from his position at a local solar installation company at the end of March. Fast-forward a month later and his unemployment application has yet to be processed.

Interview by Cyrus Howe, Statewide Worksite Lead – Blue Zones Project - Hawai‘i

Finding Purpose
"I wouldn’t say my days have been structured per se, but I’ve been setting weekly goals – nothing super big or sophisticated. For example, I try to put in so many hours of online training or courses through platforms like EdX, studying trending topics like sustainable development, cloud computing, and user interface and design. I’ve also watched YouTube videos on ways to fix and tune up our bikes. My wife and I are avid bicyclists – biking is an important way for us to relieve stress and get some exercise. I find myself feeling more stir crazy when I go without physical activity so we mix it up by running or swimming where we can. We did get turned around by National Guard folks one day at an area we particularly like to bike at, haha – I guess it’s good to see some enforcement though – they were nice about it. I’ve also been gardening a lot more (even though seeds are sold out everywhere!), growing things like okra, cilantro, radishes, and Chinese greens. Volunteering by grocery shopping for local kupuna is something I’m planning on doing soon too. We’re not really watching more Netflix (no, we weren’t hyped by Tiger King, ha!), but I’ve been reading more – a mix of fiction and non-fiction. One book I highly recommend is The Design of Everyday Things by Don Norman."

Staying Connected
"[My friends and family are] doing okay. I’m calling my mom a couple more times a week these days mostly because I have more time in the day (she lives back in Pennsylvania where we’re from). A cool thing some friends and I did was a virtual pub crawl via Zoom where each person “hosts” a drink at their “pub” (home)."