Let’s face it – we’re all stuck at home.   As the events of the global pandemic continue to unfold and we adjust to the critical measures put in place to help protect our safety, our health and our way of life, we begin to realize that physical distancing and working remotely has quickly become the new norm.  The coronavirus has changed how we work, play and learn.  For some of us, we embraced the change and it’s business as usual. However, for the majority we are suddenly starting to realize that this global event has the potential to impact us in many different ways and ultimately it will depend on what we hear, how we feel, and what we decide to do on any given day.

For me personally, the last few weeks have brought about a mix of emotions.  Some days were better than others.  Typically the best days were those where I kept busy, had scheduled meetings, and took the time to organize my thoughts and my activities throughout the day to keep myself engaged, interested and occupied.   I realized, as we get through this crisis, finding a path to protect our mental health and well-being is well within our reach, and I believe, the key to this is structure and balance.   Stuck at home with more time on our hands provides a unique opportunity, and in some ways even more flexibility to do more.  

Find the silver lining and take advantage of the opportunity to grow and learn something new or get certified.  There are tons of amazing resources available out there.  One in particular that I recently found of interest comes from the Internet Archive; who last week announced they will immediately suspend waitlists for the 1.4 Million books in their lending library by launching the National Emergency Library (NEL) to serve displaced learners.  NEL  is a collection of books that supports emergency remote teaching, research activities, independent scholarship, and intellectual stimulation while universities, schools, training centers, and libraries are closed.  For more information on the NEL, please click here.