Staying Calm and Positive During COVID-19

We know the recent sudden, widespread shift to remote working can be stressful. Even if working remotely is nothing new, there is likely some area in your life that has been disrupted by the Coronavirus pandemic. Has your child’s school been closed? Does the future of your business seem uncertain? Does all of this just feel overwhelming from time to time?

We get it. We know how you’re feeling and we’re here to help. Below we’ve compiled some resources that will hopefully give you peace of mind and help you remember that you’re not alone.

Keep calm and carry on

When it comes to staying calm, here are some tips from Alice Boyes, author of The Healthy Mind Toolkit, via The Texas Conference for Women:

• “You generally want to control everything you can and accept everything you can’t.” For example, washing your hands is in your control. School closures are not. “People who do well in these scenarios,” she explained, “are people who can be flexible. They can problem-solve but also be accepting where being accepting is the only option.”
• Make a short list of high-impact actions you can take to reduce your risk. Remember that too many ideas can lead to overwhelm. Then focus on emotional coping—things that help you keep calm and carry on. One of her favorites, for example, is restorative yoga.
• Refrain from personalizing the impact of this crisis. “Whatever dilemmas you’re having, you’re not the only one.” We’re in this together and, in fact, it helps to remember your community and how we can help each other. 
• Be creative. If you were planning a spring break trip that you have to reschedule for the fall, consider your alternatives. For example, Boyes has been pitching a tent in the backyard with her four-year-old.
• Finally, she suggested, remember that this is not our first rodeo. Crises are part of the human experience. And humans are remarkable about responding to them. In the end, they tend to bring out the best in us.”

Take time and take a step back

It’s certainly easy to feel overwhelmed in this tumultuous time, but it’s important to realize that we’re all in this together. Now is the perfect time to recognize the connection we have in our community and the resources we can use to steer our decisions despite the uncertainty. To start, here are some links that might prove useful when taking a step back:

• Tools for Telecommuting and Remote Productivity from Dell
• Navigating Through COVID-19 from Dell
• Harness Resilience to Catapult Yourself Forward with Anne Grady, resilience expert and best-selling author
• Happier Now: Embracing the Everyday with Natalie Kogan – on finding joy in everyday experiences and having greater resilience when times get tough.
• What to Watch, Read, and Play While Your Kids Are Stuck Indoors from Common Sense Media
• A Comic for Explaining Coronavirus to Kids from Cory Turner via NPR
• Brave, Not Perfect with Reshma Saujani, New York Times bestselling author and founder & CEO of Girls Who Code

Our top tip for keeping spirits high?

 Lean on your fellow DWEN members during these uncertain times. There are many members in our community who have faced these challenges and worked through them successfully with unique approaches that might work for you as well. You can start by searching our member directory by industry or geographic location, or exploring the discussion forums to share your thoughts and questions!

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