23 Mar A Guide To Surviving The Times: Staying Positive During Coronavirus Pandemic (COVID-series)

What has transpired over the last few weeks with the coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic, has been nothing short of tragic. All our lives, as we knew them, have changed, and will continue to change. It is affecting every single person on Earth, in one way or another, whether we like it or not. We are definitely in the middle of a crisis, but we strongly believe that we will get through this – we have to; as humans we will find a way, with science, with creativity, or with a little mix of both. We have to believe that our best days are still yet to come.

Side note: check what restrictions may apply to you (if you are planning some upcoming travels), using this handy COVID-19 travel advisor from our friends at Expedia #notasponsor

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But while we wait for those ‘best days’, we’ll need to stay present and deal with the now, together.

To assist you – either practically, in an inspiring way, or maybe in a lighthearted just-to-put-a-smile-on-your-face kind of way, we’ve put together a little guide to survive these testing and uncertain times. We hope they help!

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A Guide To Surviving the Times: Staying Positive During Coronavirus Pandemic

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First and foremost, you’ll need to practice good hygiene, be patient and compassionate, and ensure you stay well educated

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Wash your hands regularly and try not to touch your face.
Stay at home and practice #socialdistancing.
Help those less vulnerable than you, where you can.
If you’re not feeling well, take the right precautions and go get tested for the virus.
Only leave your home if you absolutely have to (take advantage of home deliveries).
Try postpone your upcoming travels (instead of canceling them – local small businesses will need your help during this tough time too).
Don’t spread fake news and only look to reliable sources like WHO and CDC for up to date information about the coronavirus.

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If you’re lucky, you’ll be working from home

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Not everyone is fortunate enough to be able to work remotely, but if you are, you’ll need to find your groove in your new office space. We found this article filled with some great tips on working from home, so thought we’d share it here. Our friend Kathrin (who we met during our adventures in Finland) also wrote a great article recently, in light of everything that’s happening.

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Use this time to learn something new

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Since you’ll be spending more time indoors, why not spend the extra hours taking up a new course, or finally learning how to use the Clone Stamp tool in Photoshop? Whatever your passion, there’s a ton of resources available (some even being offered for free). Check our handy list below:

MasterClass offers an array of courses, taught by the best in the world. Gordon Ramsay, Natalie Portman, Spike Lee, Rupaul and Malcolm Gladwell are just some of the names you’ll find when browsing the platform.

There’s over 400 Ivy League courses you can take for free right now – check this handy list.

It goes without saying that YouTube is an EXCELLENT source for learning as well. In fact, all the video editing we’ve self-taught ourselves over the last five years has come from YouTube, so now is definitely the time to get into tutorials. Adobe CC is even offering 2 months free use of Creative Cloud, so use this time to up your skills and potentially learn some new creative applications.

If you have a dog, why not use this time to train your pooch? We co-authored a book (which we released in late 2019) with our Italian dog trainer friends, and it’s a fun way to not only bond with your furry friend, but also learn to understand dog psychology a little better. You can get “Dog To The Power Of Ten” from Amazon.

If it’s an indoor creative boost you’re craving, Skillshare has put together a collection of classes to help you Get Creative Indoors. 

You can also take the opportunity to enhance your career and business or invest in yourself by taking a professional online course. Thankfully, the coronavirus hasn’t brought advanced learning to a standstill. So, while you’re stuck at home, register for a new course that’ll prepare you for the job market when the world reopens. For example, if you’re in the nursing field, you can sign up for a Master of Science in Nursing online course from Wilkes University.

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Maybe it’s time to channel your inner chef

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Since you’ll be cooking from home, you’ll need to think beyond eggs on toast. The brilliant Lauren Wilson has created a “culinary survival guide” called “The Art Of Eating Through The Zombie Apocalypse” – a very fitting addition to your kitchen bookshelf at the moment. 

And our favourite virtual chef, Josh from Mythical Kitchen (the culinary genius behind our fave YouTubers Rhett & Link) has the best channel – he’s even releasing a series on quarantine-friendly dishes at the moment, so look out for those.

We’d also love to remind everyone that this might be the best time to go vegan – dry legumes and pulses can store for up to 2-3 years #justsaying

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Start growing your own produce

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Of course this will only be relevant if you have the space – a garden, or patch, or can see potential for potted palettes on your balcony – but why not start growing your own produce? Gardening is also a great way to relieve stress and anxiety, so there really hasn’t been a better time to start.

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There’s plenty of workouts you can do at home

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If you don’t have one yet, get yourself a yoga mat (remember to order online and have it delivered so you’re not leaving your home), and check out this useful list of workout instructors, ready to turn your lounge or studio into a fully-fledged gym (for free).

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And when you’re done sweating and stretching, cuddle up on the couch and binge your favourite form of entertainment

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We’ll be coming to your YouTube screens over the next month with some fresh (and hopefully entertaining) wedding-related content, but there’s still lots of videos to catch up on – so check them out here. If you have any new Netflix recommendations, drop them in the comments, but we’ll say Sex Education is a must if you haven’t seen it yet (sadly only 2 seasons so far, but so so good). If you’re looking for a good movie – we’d recommend “The Sun Is Also A Star” for a beautifully-shot modern love story (just what you might need for a little pick-up).

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Read (or listen to) books

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Like we mentioned earlier, if you’re a dog owner, you can pick up our first published book, “Dog To The Power Of Ten”, but of course this point goes beyond dog training. Reading keeps us calm during times of crisis, so picking up a novel or real-life adventure book from your favourite author might be the best thing you do for peace of mind right now. Audible is also offering Stories for kids for free, so if you have little ones that are staying at home, get them to enjoy more of story time.

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Bond with your loved one

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Since you will most likely be staying at home with your other half, use this time to really bond and share in quality time which you wouldn’t normally have. But if you need help, um, surviving 24-7 with your other half, here’s 5 tips to keep in mind:

1. Compromise
2. Put the other person first, always
3. Communication, not assumption
4. Laugh
5. Take time to reflect

Taken #fromthearchives and our HOW TO SPEND 24-7-365 WITH SOMEONE blog post we wrote back in 2016 – you can read the full post here.

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This may also be a good time to foster a furry friend so that if you are self-isolating alone, you don’t (technically) have to be alone.

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Stay calm

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The most important thing is that we all remain calm and don’t panic. We will get through these times, perhaps stronger than ever. If you’re really finding it difficult to see the positive, here’s a useful article on how to get through difficult times.

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“Life is not the way it’s supposed to be, it’s the way it is. The way you cope is what makes the difference.” – Virginia Satir

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PSA: you can still roast marshmallows over your stove top (just please be careful and have a fire extinguisher handy). 

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via GIPHY

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Wishing you all health and safety,

C&S aka #TheDirnbergers

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