12 Things To Do To Combat COVID-19

Editor’s Note: Chris Chukwunyere is a 2019 alumnus of the Presidential Precinct. He was one of 24 young leaders who participated in the 2019 Global Leadership Forum: Collaborating for Social Impact. Chris is a public health practitioner with six years of experience in community and public health and development. He has fervently used this experience to support other leaders in his global network during this unprecedented season of COVID-19.

A lot of us due to the COVID-19 pandemic are locked up at home. Many of us now work from home, daycares and schools have been shut down so our children are now at home. Social gatherings are no longer allowed so we do not hang out in the bars, go out on dates or even go to our religious centers to worship. Everything is now virtual.

This is a huge disruption that can affect our mental health if we do not try to keep our minds organized, engaged and productive.

Imagine a mother who is working from home but has three or four children to take care of. I’m sure you would agree with me that it will be a whole lot of work. Learning to adjust to this new way of life and figuring out how best to work, do business and run the family is very important as a leader. Remember, we all do not know how long this will last. So the earlier we are in control of our lives the better for us.

So what do you do at a time like this while you are at home all day with family?

1. Have a daily plan

One thing that make great leaders succeed is their ability to plan. It keeps anyone ahead. Your daily routines have changed. You may not have to wake up super early and prepare to go to work. But you sure have a long day to take care of things around the house, especially if you have a family. So work out a plan with your spouse (if you are married) on how best to make things work at home. Team work is critical here. Consider the best times to bath the kids (having in mind that they won’t wake up early), prepare their food (at least 3 times daily, plus their snacks), time to get them to take a nap (considering their age), time to do their home work with them, time to also have family time. etc. This is a great time to bond as a family. If you are single, you have less to think about in terms of planning, but make sure you have your day organized. Also, factor in how best to be productive with work in the midst of the so many things you have to do.

2. Have all you need to work and play at home

Working from home can be fun if you have all you need to work with. Your WiFi has to be working well. Get a workspace sorted. Your desk, good chair that keeps your back straight to avoid aches and pain, a laptop, a power cord, printer, etc., needed for work has to be in place.

If you have family at home, you have to find time to work, as well as find time to be with family. Once it is past work time, close that laptop and focus on your family. You have other life outside work. There is a tendency to want to keep working. Don’t fall to that temptation. Your mind must be able to create that boundary. Have time to play with your kids, spend time with your spouse, siblings or parents. They need that emotional support and interaction with you. Be deliberate about how you build your relationship with everyone at home. Google to look for new games that you can incorporate in your play time as a family.

3. Take a walk

Isolation can be unhealthy if not well managed. So take a walk, breath, get some fresh air. Enjoy nature, appreciate life and just walk.

4. Do something therapeutic

There are things that we do that feels like it is healing for us. Do it. It could be to watch a movie, write, exercise, take pictures or something. Just do something that you’ve discovered helps you heal your soul. Be careful about social media. You may it is therapeutic for you, but try not to get addicted. Also learn to manage the negativities you may find on social media.

5. Excercise

A lot of people will add more weight when this period is over because they were not very active and were not burning the needed calories. Reduced activities like walking, climbing the stairs, walking around in the offices and so on would require that you find other ways to burn off those calories. So exercise. Family exercise could be a time to bond too.

6. Talk to someone

If you feel trapped, stressed, depressed or unhappy, put a call across to someone and just talk about it. If you need a therapist, get one. It will help you. Be there for someone as well. Be that safe space someone else can come to if they are looking for one. We all need to be there for one another at a time like this.

7. Be careful how you interpret media information on COVID-19

We are flooded with so much information about the virus. How you interpret the information you get will either bring fear, hope or faith into your heart. Don’t let the fear of being sick or death come into your heart. Do not panic. Learn to see things through the lens of hope and faith. Everything is going to be okay. The rate of survival is high. We will be alright. Guard your mind from negativity. Please do not be misguided by fake and non-credible information online. Stay away from some WhatsApp broadcast about the disease telling you to do funny stuff to protect yourself.

8. Obey public health rules

While you are home, still keep to obeying the public health rules and information shared by credible public health institutions. Wash your hands, use your hand sanitizers, don’t touch your face, cover your nose and mouth when you cough and isolate yourself from the rest of your family if you feel any of the COVID-19 symptoms. This is not a time to entertain visitors. Let them stay in their house.

9. Stock your house with household supplies

We do not know long or how bad it is going to get before it eventually gets better. So make sure you have home supplies that can last you for at least two to four weeks. It could be more than that. This is entirely your decision to make. But have supplies at home and restock as they reduce.

10. Personal Development

For some of you, this is a time to grow and develop in the different areas of your life. You may not have had the time to do some online courses or read a book. This is the time to add some knowledge to your mind. Enroll for that course that will push you forward professionally. Spend more time with God and develop a closer relationship with him if that has been an issue with you. Look at that area of your life that has suffered because you have not given time to it and fix it. This time will also help some of us workaholics to rest a little bit.

11. Volunteer

If there is a time that the world needs leaders to step up to the plate and become heroes for their communities, it is now. Look for opportunities to volunteer with organizations that are providing support to members of your community. Be part of the solution and not the problem.

12. Create innovative solutions

It is inherent in every leader to create innovative solutions in the face of challenges. This is the time to rise up to the challenge and design community solutions. The elderly need our support at a time like this. People need to be more educated. Some need food to sustain themselves. Other need therapy and someone who would just listen to them. Some of our government hospitals need partners who would help bridge the existing gaps that the pandemic has created. Develop solutions that will add value to humanity.

This is a time for us as leaders to contribute to fighting this disease. I believe together each of us can do more and we will surely overcome. Stay safe everyone. Let’s be hopeful. This will surely pass.