I work in public affairs for a major healthcare organization and I still go into work despite the pandemic. Every morning I hear about the severity of this virus so I’m aware of what the world is going through. With so much that has happened I made a choice on how I lived my life in the previous weeks and how I will live it in the coming months. As someone who has struggled with depression and suicidal thoughts, I know the choice can be hard, but in this situation, I feel like I can finally control my perspective. After thinking it over, I’ve been working towards the days that lie beyond the stay at home order and the coronavirus.

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I’ve decided to go the opposite route from what I’m hearing from my content creator friends. Instead of using this time to solely practice selfcare, I’ve been working harder than ever to accomplish things I set at the start of 2020. This choice is what’s best for me, and I encourage you to find what’s best for you. In no way am I pressuring you to do something you don’t feel like doing, but I am suggesting you don’t let the days go away before you realize it. If you need a few reasons why I kept working during social distance, why I will continue to do so, and why I think you should be doing something similar, then I have it all spelled out.

We Have the Time
Before, it may have been easier to say that we had limited time to get things done. Maybe you have a full-time job or a long drive to and from work. Now that our jobs have transistioned, we have more time than ever. Now that we have time it means you can:

• Start the side hustle or business you’ve been putting off
• Catch up on all the work you’re behind on
• Schedule the projects you were too busy to manage
• Organize your life a lot better
• Work on yourself (mental, health, financial, all the above)

Having a few extra hours in the day – or even the whole day – gives us the chance to get work done. This virus is already doing enough damage to the world around us, don’t let it do any damage to you or your goals. The majority of us now have been given the gift of time, take advantage of it.

What Else Are We Gonna Do Anyway?
Let’s be real, it’s been almost two months and if you haven’t even gotten a bit closer to zen in that amount of time then divert some of your attention elsewhere. Not to rush the tranquility process by any means, but you can be doing more with your time. Yes, Ozark season 3 hit Netflix and yes you want to get your Hot Girl (or Guy) Quarantine on, but you should be working on what you need to be working on. Try not to envelope yourself in the pandemonium and try not to stay under the covers all day. Devote some of your time to other things that will make you happy so that you can get your goals done too.

We’re Coming Out of This Stronger
I don’t know how you’re looking at this virus, but I’m choosing to be ridiculously optimistic. I would rather believe that our doctors are finding a cure that will eventually make COVID-19 look like the common cold. I’m praying that this becomes something that in the future we’ll get over with a little PTO and bed rest. I do this because there’s already so much grief around us and I don’t want more. Looking at the bright side means that in a few more weeks or months we’ll be in a place where things are back to normal. At that point, I don’t want to look over this period wishing I had done more, tried harder, or even made a bit of an extra effort. We’re coming out of this virus stronger and when that happens you should be in a better place with your work, hustle, self, or business.

The coronavirus is serious and we’re all being impacted by it some way, somehow. I can fully understand why someone may have a hard time coming to grips with their work considering how the world is today, but it’s important to not be overcome by fear. It’s essential that we don’t let the turmoil take from all that we’re meant to accomplish. You should absolutely face your emotions head on. Grieve and be sad, but also keep working hard during the coronavirus. Prior to the virus, you created something amazing and you hold so much talent within your being that you shouldn’t let it sit idly in the days to come. Don’t let it all be stagnant or worse, regress you back to your old yourself.

[All photos in this post where taken by Huong Nguyen of Velvet Media and Marketing at Momed in Atwater Village]