5 Things You Can Do If You Are Self-Quarantined at Home

The news and warnings about the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) are getting more and more dire. Public health officials, medical history researchers and statistical analysts are mostly pointing to “flattening the curve” as a strategy to reduce the significant impact on health resources. 

Flattening the curve essentially means that we collectively take action to slow the spread, rather than having a huge spike in new cases. The result, as this article in The Guardian states, is that “this more gentle increase in cases gives health systems the time to adapt and absorb the new patients, ensure that the virus is not spread further and effectively treat the most vulnerable.” 

Governments and municipalities are closing down public spaces such as libraries, museums, and even schools. Sporting associations are cancelling games. Companies are cancelling events, and even sending employees to work from home in order to avoid exposure. All of these measures have been demonstrated to reduce the spread of disease and manage the trajectory of the pandemic. 

Benefits of Working from Home

Self-quarantine means exactly that — distancing yourself from public spaces by staying at home. It doesn’t mean you get to hang out at the mall, or spend the day at the gym. Working at home means exactly that — working. It’s not an opportunity to binge-watch your favorite TV show.

You may find that working at home is much more efficient than working in an office surrounded by colleagues and, therefore, distractions. You finally have large stretches of quiet time to focus on writing a report, or brainstorming a strategy for a new product. You don’t have the commute to worry about, or the chatty person in the cubicle next to you, or the smells of the lunch room wafting your way. So you may find yourself getting work done in less time, freeing up your day.

Professional development at Home

So your conference or meeting was cancelled? This is an excellent opportunity to explore some self-paced professional or personal development. Here are some suggestions.

 
Listen to a podcast

Podcasts are excellent learning opportunities. Here are some of our favorites:

  • How I Built ThisEntrepreneurs tell their stories of how they built their companies
  • Spectacular Failures — After you hear about the success stories, this gem will share the epic meltdowns
 
Take a short course

There are plenty of opportunities to brush up on a skill, or explore an interest.

  • edX.org — this non-profit site offers 2,500 courses from 140 institutions in everything from data science to humanities
  • CITIprogram — if you work in research, health care or life sciences, you can take courses in regulatory issues, research conduct and ethics, disaster planning for research institutions, biohazards, or research administration. (Disclosure: CITIprogram is a part of BRANY, one of Calypso’s esteemed clients)
 
Catch up on a blog

There are so many blogs to choose from, but here are some of our favorites that are relevant to professional-personal development.

  • Zat Rana — Zat’s blog, featured on Medium, writes on science, art and philosophy
  • Seth’s Blog — Seth Godin. Need I say more?
  • OnBeing — It is not an exaggeration to say that the OnBeing podcast has been life changing for me. Host Krista Tippet covers topics that range from the cosmos to spirituality to poetry to civil conversations
 
Schedule an online coaching session

Perhaps you’re interested in a more personalized experience and want to have a live one-on-one session with a coach. 

  • ICF — The International Coaching Federation, the professional organization that certifies coaches around the world, has a searchable directory of certified coaches 
 
Improve your public speaking

Eventually, we will emerge from our homes and return to the work place. For some people, that means we will have to speak in front of a group — our own team, or a larger meeting or an even larger conference.

Now is a good time to learn some best practices and practice with an experienced advisor in the privacy of your home.

We offer live video consulting, coaching and guidance that includes a rehearsal and immediate, confidential feedback. We can even record the session and provide it to you as a video file.

If you are interested, we’d love to hear from you! Write to us at emily@calypsocommunications.net