How are you doing? You’ve been on my mind a lot amidst all the warnings, cancellations and uncertainty surrounding the coronavirus. Have you regained your footing yet? Yeah, me neither!

As a single woman who works out of her home office, by outer appearances, my life hasn’t changed all that much. My almost-17-year-old cat Lucy is curled up on the red corduroy loveseat behind my desk. The sound of a neighbor’s lawnmower mingles with SiriusXM “The Highway” playing on my kitchen Alexa. But internally, it feels very different.

Late last week, once the severity of the pandemic became clear and the landslide of cancellations intensified—including the NCAA Basketball Tournament(!!)—I admit… I got really frightened and panicked and felt helpless. So, I reached out to some trusted friends and mentors. Through our conversations and inspiring emails and content from coaches and respected people I follow online, I was reminded of several important practices that will continue to guide my daily living as we move through these uncertain times. I wanted to share in hopes that you find something of value too:

Count your blessings. 
It’s a cliché, I know, but here’s the thing about clichés… they’re mostly true!! Focusing on the positive is a quick way to shift from fear/scarcity to love/abundance. Events like this help us find blessings in the most unlikely places. For one, I’m extremely grateful right now for the technology that allows me to stay connected to friends, family, clients and colleagues while still practicing social distancing. Now more than ever, our smart devices and laptops make physical isolation possible without losing the emotional and relational connections we share.

Keep your perspective.
It’s easy to get swept away playing out worst-case scenarios of what may or may not happen. But what good does that do us? Instead, let’s reframe our perspective. Despite all that’s changed, so much hasn’t. Not to sound like Pollyanna BUT remember, connections, communications, relationships, family, joy, hopefulness, laughter, creativity, generosity and gratefulness have not been cancelled or taken away. In truth, you’ve been given the gift of time. (Well that is, unless you’re a parent with school-age kids.) What do you want to do with it? Maybe it’s time to focus on self-care—beginning with eating well, getting enough rest and enjoying some fresh air each day. What have you been threatening to do if you had the time? Well, now you may have it!

Take it day by day.
Don’t get ahead of yourself. Focus on today, heck focus on this very second if you need to. The point is to be present because all your power, ideas and energy are only available in the here and now.

Focus and attention are key.
Think about the last week… Where have you been putting your focus and attention? Has it been beneficial and productive? Or have you been “feeding” and nurturing the wrong things?

Over the weekend, it became very clear to me that I was spending WAY too much time consuming any and all media about the virus and all it was doing was feeding my anxiety. So now, I’ve chosen a single reputable source and read updates no more than twice daily. Make a conscious decision on where and how you want to spend your time.

Are there activities/resources you can incorporate into your daily routine that bring you happiness and help you feel grounded and balanced? For me, that’s music. As I mentioned earlier, my Alexa is playing SiriusXM or something on Spotify 24/7. Music provides the backdrop for my life and helps me tune in to the positive… Which brings me to that feel-good playlist I promised in the subject line. I’ve pulled together a dozen songs on Spotify and Amazon Music that are perfect for a little impromptu dancing in the kitchen (Who can resist Marky Mark & the Funky Bunch?!!) or when you need a shift in energy during your day. Many of the songs have an uplifting message and others amplify the “Good Vibrations”. If you’re a Spotify subscriber, you can add to this playlist and I’d love it if you would! 🙂

Be there for each other.
As we’ve heard so many times already, we’re all in this together. And yes, that’s true, but it’s been hard for me to feel that communal support—while practicing social distancing—without frequent reminders. Fortunately, I’ve had them. Whether it was a text among dear girlfriends, dinner with my BFF who drove 90 minutes to see me or a call from my like-a-second-father neighbor who wanted “to make sure I was doing okay”, I’ve felt the love and connection from my community. And here’s the really cool thing, I can pay that forward to extend the power of connection to others. Having a mindset of “How can I be helpful and available to my circle?” not only takes the focus off you (if you’re having an off day) but also helps you take action on your behalf and to the benefit of others.

And to that end, I want to say that km design is here for you! As a small firm, we’re nimble and capable of shifting gears at a moment’s notice. We stand at the ready to help with whatever your marketing/design needs may be during this challenging time. Whether you need quick-turn designs created to communicate new messaging or a partner to think through short-term strategy as our current circumstances evolve and change, we’re here for you! And if you just want a friendly chat with someone outside your immediate family (cabin fever!), we’re down for that too.