These are unprecedented times for sure. This is of course, due to the COVID-19 virus. The last pandemic in recent history was the 1918 influenza. Both have claimed a lot of lives and changed the course of everyday life. There are similarities in the way we are living now and then during these pandemics. However, the world has seen a plethora of change since the time of the 1918 pandemic.
Many businesses have closed, some temporarily, or downsized significantly resulting in a lot of people losing their jobs. Many businesses are struggling and are trying to change the way they do things to stay afloat.
Some are re-tooling production lines to make face shields, masks and other personal protection equipment for healthcare workers.
The businesses that can, have their employees work remotely from home, or are doing more of that.
Restaurants that didn’t provide delivery are now offering that option to add to their take out service, or adding curbside pickup.
Grocery stores have adopted the social distancing guidelines, and issued their employees personal protective equipment as directed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention(CDC). This change also resulted in providing plexiglass shields as an additional measure to protect their cashiers.
Telehealth services conducted online, have ramped up their practices to accommodate the stay at home directive. This service is for mental health or routine appointments, that do not need to see a health professional in person.
Schools are going online to finish the current school year with parents guiding their kids through a change they were not prepared for.
These businesses have changed the way they’ve done things in the past to meet the demand of the current situation.
Everyone, whether a business owner, employee, parent, child, retiree, etc., has made at least one change, if not many in the way we live our lives.
Most humans, and pets, don’t like change. We get used to our routines and like knowing what to expect. Disruptions, no matter how small, can throw us out of whack. But change happens all the time, and we need to learn to adapt, or adjust our routines to work with our current situation.
Here are some tips to help you adjust your routines to the current situation going on around the world. If you know of others, please share in the comment box below.
- List all of your current routines including schedules, ie., getting ready for work/school, making dinner, acquiring necessities, exercise, playtime, going to bed, etc. These routines will be different for everyone.
- Use a trusted news source to stay current on CDC guidelines, as well as the government directives in your local area.
- List the changes specific to your situation that are different from past routines, ie., working from home, home schooling, quarantine due to high risk health, can’t go to exercise class, no in person visits, or gatherings, etc.
- List all the resources available that will allow you to comply with CDC guidelines and government directives. For example, online shopping for supplies & services, video conferencing tools, online schooling websites/portals, telehealth websites, etc.
- Adjust routines and schedules as needed, based on the bullet points above. Keep in mind that your schedules may not need to include travel time. Traffic is very light, or if you’re working or schooling remotely, there is no travel time, yay!
- Post routines and schedules in a central location. This will help to get adjusted to the changes for everyone in your family. It can be on paper, or on an electronic device, such as google calendar, whatever works for you and your family.
