Welcome To Our New (Corona) World

An Abundance Of Caution.

Crisis.

Emergency.

Worst Day On Wall Street.

PANDEMIC.

These are words and phrases bombarding us from the media – everywhere we turn – and they can be nerve-wracking, to say the very least.

Like many of you, I have lived through several decades of scares like today’s Coronavirus – both authentic and highly sensationalized. Sometimes these are national or even global threats that really force you to stop and think. They may change your perspective on your business, how you work, and really, how it will all affect your family, friends and…LIFE.

The Coronavirus Emergency has produced so much mounting global anxiety that, despite our tremendous medical advances over the past century, the best thing we can do now is starting to look a lot like what our great (or great-great) grandparents did to combat The 1918 Flu Pandemic. We have a fancy term for it now, social distancing, but back then it came down to this -- keeping people at home for as long as possible until the pandemic eventually wore itself out.

So fast-forward to Monday of this week – I’m working in an office in Boston, advocating for 4.5 million+ fantastic small businesspeople on Alignable.com, as a proud, former small business owner myself.

On Tuesday, my world shifted dramatically, as Alignable's founders (quite wisely) told everyone to work from home over the next two weeks, for our own well-being.  So I’m no longer taking the train into North Station in Boston, one of the busiest places on Earth, exponentially minimizing my risk of catching the Coronavirus.

Sounds like a great plan, and it is, given the world situation.

But it’s somewhat unsettling, too.

Not only do I have to confront the fact that Coronavirus is, indeed, a life-changing event for me already, but I also have more practical concerns.  I need to figure out how I'll effectively work from home or other places around my rural burb that seem safe.

But, then, of course, other “life challenges” occur that start to push my resting (let’s pretend this isn’t happening) anxiety into overdrive.

Let me list just four from the past few days you might appreciate:

Construction Crews Make A Lot Of Noise

I woke up on Wednesday ready to dive into work and saw a construction crew on the house lot right behind my back fence, literally 14 yards (I measured) from my new workspace.

While I've been waiting 15 years for them to knock down the dilapidated house that stood there and build a new one, did they need to start digging the foundation with huge, noisy equipment on my first day working from home?

Oh, for the love of Pete!

Super Daughter Escapes College & Corona At Home

I received a worried text from my terrific daughter, a freshman at a fancy college in Ohio, telling me she needs to come home -- on Thursday.

So, before I knew it, I had to pay for an “emergency” plane ticket, so she can leave her Corona-abandoned campus and work from home remotely for the rest of the semester.

Truth be told, I am delighted to have her home and safe with me, but I also was worried about her picking up the Coronavirus on the plane. And now, as she reunites with lots of friends who are suddenly home, will she be able to stay Corona-free? God, I hope so. 

Oh, Great -- Now I Have Dental Issues?

After working out her my daughter's travel arrangements, I cracked my new crown by biting into the wrong Brazil nut (which happens to be part of my third diet this year).

Then I'm left wondering if it’s safe to go into the dentist to get it fixed. Maybe they won't even be open? I haven't tackled that challenge quite yet, but I really should -- and soon.

Really Tired Of Bad Potholes

Finally, as I was rushing around looking for what's left of sanitizing agents in the stores, I encountered a pothole so deep that I rolled into my driveway with a flat tire.

Thankfully, AAA put a donut on the car and I was careful not to shake hands with the poor guy changing the tire in the middle of the night. But I  did give him a really good tip, to make up for my necessary, but slightly rude, corona-enforced greeting.

Okay, so those are just a couple of the things that have added to stress of constant news alerts, Facebook rants, and Twitter tales of woe making even a relatively well-balanced, resilient professional uneasy.

And then you have the well-intentioned yet somewhat unnerving SLACK-A-THALON from a truly wonderful group of people at work weighing in about new corona news stories, people diagnosed just a town away from you, tiny tech issues you don’t know anything about, and much more. (Just FYI, Slack is an app we use to send internal company messages). 

Enough Is Enough -- Time To Take Control

So, what this has led me to do, is STOP, BREATHE, AND APPROACH this emergency and the mini-crises it has unleashed in a calmer manner.

I’m tapping some great coping skills that I’ve used before, plus many suggestions other Alignable members have mentioned in posts about handling past crises and anxious times.

6 Simple Ways We Can All Cope With Coronavirus Stress

Here's my personal list of ways to cope with this uncertain time. I hope it works for you, too.

Focus On What You Can Control, Instead Of What You’re Powerless To Change

Be vigilant washing your hands and wiping down surfaces, avoiding super crowded places, and many other things we germaphobes do often on a good day.

Stop Watching The Stock Market Decline

Yes, it’s terrible what’s happening and how the stock markets are reacting, but markets go way up and way down and eventually bounce back. Talk to your financial advisor, if you have one, but he or she will likely offer similar advice.

Read Reports Like This One

Some medical professionals are trying to put the Coronavirus into its proper perspective by noting how much more contagious and deadly some more common diseases are to us. 

We don’t want to be careless, but we also don’t want to have a nervous breakdown just worrying about a disease many of us might never get.

Connect With More People Online & Share Good Advice, Not Panic-Inducing News

Alignable’s Advice section has plenty of wise counsel on managing crises. Some of the advice is so grounding, it makes you feel good just reading it – like taking a long bike ride or golfing with a friend.

And our coronavirus SWAT team is working hard to get you the right information you need to navigate this strange period, minimize any damage to your business, and eventually come out ahead after the storm clouds have gone away.

In fact, many comments people are making in response to our poll are already showing how we're banding together to fight this threat.

Support Other Small Businesses!

This is more important now than ever. Either buy from small businesses online or venture down Main Street into some stores that likely don’t have huge crowds and are probably cleaner than they’ve ever been.

When the construction crews behind my fence are too loud, I go to my favorite small business, a café in a remote town near me, where I know the owner is as much of a germaphobe as I am.

In fact, Andrew and his egg-white omelet are doing more for me in alleviating my anxiety than anything else I can think of right now. And I love supporting him through this tough time, as well.

That makes both of us feel good and it strengthens our business relationship and friendship.

Count Your Blessings

When it comes right down to it, despite a lot of crazy things that happen to all of us, we are pretty lucky.

And even when times are tough, I’m sure we can all come up with five or ten aspects of our lives that we truly treasure. By focusing on the positive, uplifting aspects of life, many people believe more good things come your way.

That's likely because you’re busy looking for them, instead of focusing on negatives that can elevate anxiety, make you depressed, and generally, interfere with your evolution into the greatest person you can be.

Those are the tips that are helping me through what I’m now calling, #CoronaConfusion. But I’d love to hear about some of your struggles and what you’re doing to overcome them in the comments below.

And stay tuned for other helpful articles from us both during this strange period and after it has gone away. (You and I know that day is coming, eventually). Thanks for reading! #SmallBusinessStrong

For more inspiration, ideas, and support on how to get through the crisis and beyond, check out our Coronavirus Resource and Recovery Center.