OPINION: Use coronabreak’s time wisely

While it’s tempting to relax in your bed and watch Netflix all day, teenagers should take advantage of this rare opportunity to pursue objectives and goals that normally get pushed back in a fast-paced American way-of-life. When times are normal, the chances of pursuing personal goals and conquering challenges are limited, but the recommended “stay-at-home” orders literally separate us from those challenges that disable us from reaching our goals. The emergence of the coronavirus gives us a golden opportunity to benefit ourselves and to become very healthy; that’s why we must use this time wisely. 

Although we are essentially in our homes 24/7, there isn’t a shortage of learning someone can do online. Forbes Contributor Stephanie Burns reached out to successful entrepreneurs and wrote a piece on staying productive during this time. Online business and marketing expert Amy Porterfield explained that knowledge of software is important in staying connected in a positive and productive manner. For her remote team, Porterfield says the biggest pieces of software are Asana, for project management; Slack, for daily conversations and Zoom for video conferencing. Tutorials and videos that can teach you how to use these software among others are widespread online. That is crucial because learning these tools will help you in the long run as you’ll be a step ahead of others whenever these platforms come up in our lives.

“These, together with a mindset that is primed for productivity and positivity, lay the foundations for success,” Porterfield said.

It’s also important to remind people to still have somewhat of a structure, especially during a time of crisis like this. When there is less of a structure, people tend to fall back on their worst habits, mainly procrastination and poor time management. That’s why in the Forbes article, brain performance and accelerating learning expert Jim Kwik shares that sentiment of creating a routine, but also says we need to cover our most important goals in an efficient manner, rather than through complex methods. Personally, whenever there’s a break or a less-filled schedule in my life, I find it hard to get back to top performance once normal routines resume. That’s why it’s important to maintain at least some of a normal routine during this time.

Another way to stay productive during this pandemic is to sell items you have around the house or in storage and make some extra cash. Although it’s not smart to use apps and platforms that involve meeting the buyer, websites like eBay are very simple to use and be successful selling things on. 

When it comes to selling things from your home, there’s only one thing that I am not advocating for: price gouging of necessary items. It’s fine to make money during a crisis, but it’s not fine to make money off of the crisis itself. In fact, eBay has implemented bans on essential items including masks, hand sanitizers, disinfecting wipes and toilet paper. According to eBay’s company website, they have removed over 500,000 listings that violate their bans to ensure that “buyers are able to find essential items at reasonable prices.” This represents a serious undertaking and although eBay has a huge part of the online market, that is just one of many websites/apps for selling items so it’s important to empathize that price gouging is simply wrong, especially during an unprecedented crisis like this.

Although gyms and public fitness centers are closed, the truth is that this quarantine will most likely encourage a healthier lifestyle. A common complaint amongst anyone who is trying to improve themselves physically and mentally is a lack of time. Not only is there an abundance of time (so no excuses about that), but there’s almost too much time to the point where people are bored. According to the World Health Organization, physical and mental health activity can help retain good health and curb stress during these unprecedented times. Activities they suggest include walking, meditation, taking short breaks during the day and minor workouts like planks, squats and various stretching.

As generations of Americans and citizens of the world maneuver their ways through this pandemic, it’s important to cherish these negative times and always turn a negative into something positive. While we cannot communicate with others face-to-face, we could always learn a new skill, stick to somewhat of a routine and maintain strong physical and mental health. Those who are able to do these could be able to improve their resumes and keep themselves healthy. They can be a step ahead of the game once everything gets back to normal.