10 Ways to Thrive in the Midst of Chaos

10 Ways to Thrive in the Midst of Chaos

It is currently March 2020-a month that will live in infamy [no] thanks to COVID-19.

Our nation and our world are currently being given an up-close-and-way-too-personal lesson in crisis-management, for better or worse.

We as a people are over-saturated and inundated with the media and the news, more so than ever before.

This isn’t another PSA to wash your hands and not hoard all the toilet paper from your local Target.

Nor is it a substitute for professional or medical advice.  I’m not claiming to be an expert.

It is simply what I believe to be encouraging ways to thrive during a crisis, in the midst of all the negative, fear-riddled content you’re getting bombarded with 24/7.

I wrote this with your best interest in mind, but not everyone will likely agree with me, and that’s fine.

But I do hope and pray you’ll be encouraged and uplifted, and share that encouragement with others.

The world needs it right now.

That said, let’s get started.

Monitor Social Media Use

I decided to make this point first and foremost, because the fact is, everyone is on social media right now.  More than ever (if that’s even possible).  But it’s not necessarily a good thing.

According to a recent Pew Research Center report, most Americans get their news from social media, particularly Facebook and Twitter.

The problem is, right now so many people are repeatedly refreshing their feeds to keep up with the latest breaking news and subsequently raising their fear and anxiety with every new shocking statistic released.

They then go on to share the news article, perpetuating the cycle of fear and anxiety on others.

One of the best things you can do for yourself right now-especially if you’re struggling with fear and anxiety-is monitor your social media use.

It is wise to stay in-the-know, no doubt about it.  But allow yourself a specific block of time each day when you will consume the latest news.  Then, put your phone down or close out of the window on your browser, and go about your day.

If specific people you follow are constantly sharing panic and fear-inducing articles, it may be time to hit the un-follow button if it’s negatively impacting your well-being.  You can always re-follow them after the crisis period has passed.

I personally do not share anything regarding COVID-19 that perpetuates the cycle of fear, and I am asking you to think about doing the same.

Sharing the latest death toll for your state or photos of empty grocery store shelves isn’t helping anyone.  It’s just fanning the flames of our panic-stricken world, and it’s not contributing anything helpful to the situation.

I’ll talk more about this later, but instead of focusing on the news, consume positive media and then do your social following a favor by sharing it with them.

Break the cycle of fear and panic.

Refuse to accept it or be persuaded by it.

Podcasts

To see a list of some of my favorite personal development podcasts, check out my article, The Best Personal Development Podcasts.

I subscribe to these podcasts and listen to them on a daily basis.

Absorbing input from professionals who are trained and experienced to help people change the way they think and control their thoughts is key during a time people are letting their fears run rampant.

Your thoughts control your feelings, and your feelings control your actions.

Living in fear is a choice, not a life sentence you must accept.

Consume media that empowers you.

Podcasts are a great place to start.

At the time I’m writing this article, some of my favorite podcasts are creating extra episodes and special series’ regarding fear and anxiety in the wake of the Coronavirus pandemic. Click the article mentioned above to access these podcasts, or search for other podcasts by your favorite personal development or motivational speakers.

Check in and Pitch in

Keep tabs on your loved ones.

Depending on where you live, the extent to which you can do so varies.

Right now, it would be ill-advised and against the orders of my county’s mayor for me to go visit my sister’s family across town.

Texting, Face Time, Skype, or a simple phone call can make a world of difference in a time where in-person and physical human connection has been temporarily cut off.

Depending on the circumstances in your city, it’s possible you could help someone in need.

This could mean making a grocery run for a grandparent or a disabled or otherwise health-compromised person who cannot or should not be making trips to the grocery store at this time.

Check in with your friends, and let them know you’re here for them-even if “here” means a phone call or text message.

Many people are struggling right now, and your reaching out could make a world of difference.

Not only are you helping someone else, you help yourself too, by targeting your focus on someone else instead of yourself.

Feel helpful, not helpless.

Start a New Hobby

You know all those times you said, “I’d love to do x, but I just don’t have time?”

Well, now you have time.

Here are some fun and purposeful ways to expend your newfound free time:

• Read a good book (see my picks here for the best personal development reads of 2020).
• Learn a craft-crochet, cross-stitch (my personal favorite), painting, drawing, etc.
• YouTube exercise videos and set up your own makeshift gym (there are workouts out there that don’t involve workout gear, if you don’t have any. No excuses!)
• Think about starting a garden or how you’ll update your landscaping when the time is right weather-wise.
• Work on house projects.
• De-clutter your closet, the junk drawer, the bathroom, or any area of your house that needs it.
• Play board games or do crafts with the kids.
• Try new recipes for dinner-make cooking a fun experience.
• Make a scrapbook.
• Start a blog or start writing that book you’ve always wanted to write.
• Make home videos with the kids and come up with creative activities to film. Five or ten years from now, watch those videos and remember how you spent your time during the dark days of COVID-19.  (Side note: When I was a kid, my sister and I, along with our best friends, used to make “music videos” using our dad’s VHS camera recorder. The ideas you can come up with here are endless, and it makes for fun memories years down the road.)

Journal

If you’ve never used a journal before, now is a great time to start.

Writing down your thoughts brings so much peace and clarity, and it’s something you have complete control over.

Journaling your gratitude, specifically, has been shown to reap major health benefits.

It increases positivity, brings you joy, helps you sleep better, improves your self-esteem, raises clarity, and that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

Don’t miss out on this free and healthy way to reduce anxiety.

No journal? No problem! Just grab a pen and a piece of paper and get started.

Go Play Outside

As an 80’s child, I grew up with minimal electronics.  Sure, we had a Nintendo, and if you know me, you know I’ve been a gamer since the tender age of 4.  That said, during the warmer months, my sister and I and our friends were almost always outside.

Remember, this was before the big electronics boom, before the introduction to the internet. We used to build forts in the woods in our back yard, played various sports in someone’s yard, climbed trees, and had a group of friends we played hide-and-seek with around the neighborhood at night (maybe not advisable in this day and age).

What I’m getting at here is, we used our imaginations and creativity and were entertained for hours on end.  We were never bored.

Go outside and get some vitamin D.  Use your imagination-or let your kids use theirs-and let the ideas run wild.

• Take a walk.
• Visit a park with your family and hike the trails.
• Do yard work.
• Go for a bike ride.
• Run through the sprinklers.
• Plant flowers.
• Wash your car.
• Go for a run or jog.
• Play sports with the kids.
• Jump on a trampoline.
• Go swimming if you’re in a warmer climate and own a pool.
• Play tag or four-square.
• Climb trees.

There are an infinite number of activities to engage in.

Don’t Fall Off the Wagon

As tempting as it is, now is not the time to engage in former bad habits you worked so hard to quit.

This includes:

• Quitting exercising (and the gym being closed isn’t an excuse).
• Stress-eating.
• Over-drinking.
• Spending beyond your means online shopping.
• Overindulging in whatever it is you shouldn’t be doing in excess.
• Partaking in any bad habit after previously quitting.
• Spending too much time on social media (see my first point at the beginning of this article!)

Find healthy ways to cope with any stress or anxiety you’re having. I mention some good ideas throughout this article.

Create a New Daily Routine

Many people have seen everything they know about daily life temporarily quashed.

They’re waking up with no clue how to adjust to their current reality.

This is the perfect breeding ground for starting a new daily routine.

You can read my article, How to Create Your Perfect Daily Routine, to get started.

A Daily Routine is comprised of specific habits you repeat every day.

Example: I have a morning routine I practice daily, regardless of whatever else the day holds.

The first thing I do when I wake up before anything else is spend 20 minutes reviewing my goals, doing my devotions, journaling, checking my planner, etc.

If you’re interested in starting a morning routine, check out my article, 3 Morning Routines You Need to Stop Doing.

Live-stream Church Services

I realize not everyone who is reading this shares my faith, or is perhaps at a different place in life with their faith than I am, but it is important to note to those who are seeking that many churches are live-streaming in the wake of having to temporarily cancel services to the public.

But not all church service messages are created equal.

Two churches I am leaning on for their positive, faith-over-fear messages of truth are Nfluence Network who live-stream at 11 am EST on Sundays and Faith Life Church, who have four live-stream services: 6 pm on Saturdays and 9 am, 10:30 am and 12 pm on Sundays (all EST).

Start New Traditions

This will depend on what your situation looks like, but start new traditions based on your circumstances.

Maybe you’re working from home with the kids at home too, and you can all have lunch together: Something you’d normally never be able to do.

Come up with fun ways to mark day-to-day living during this time, and you just might find yourself actually enjoying the diversion from normalcy.

Final Note

I wrote this article with the hope and intention of lifting you up and giving you encouragement.

Time is valuable and should not be wasted-even in this unprecedented time where it seems the world is at a stand-still.

There is so much more I could say, and I might be adding to this post at a later time.

My hope is you will someday look back on the spring of 2020 and know it wasn’t all for naught.

I don’t know your unique situation, but I do know we will get through this, and this too, shall pass.

“In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)

If you found this article helpful, please share it with others.

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• 12 Daily Habits of Successful People
• How to Make Exercise a Habit in 6 Steps
• 11 Ways to Beat Depression
• 4 Keys to Cultivate Abundance Thinking