Never Let a Crisis Go To Waste: Starting Our Own Pandemic of Joy

As crazy as it sounds, taking time to ponder what you’ve learned from the pandemic can increase your (and others’) joy!

The pandemic of 1918 killed more people than anything, ever.  Yet, we don’t hear much about it in our history books. 

As an author, I’ve always said the best thing about going through tough times is the fact they don’t go to waste if we can write about it and help others through it.  So let’s take a look at this pandemic and see if we can learn anything from it.  Are you with me?  Okay, let’s dive in!

“Hello, this is the front desk. 
You requested a wake-up call.” 

-Eric Barker, blogger

If you’ve been waiting for a “sign” to make a change in your life, it may be now!  But how in the world?  Here are some helpful hints to not let “this crisis go to waste.” 

Thankful
Gratitude is all about perspective.  You haven’t caught Covid-19, and if you did, you are reading this, so you aren’t dead, right?  That’s a good thing!  There’s wisdom behind the old adage, “Count your blessings.”  Sure, having a Corvette given to us is a really nice thing in which to be grateful.  That’s easy.  But focusing your attention on being grateful…that’s the important and sometimes harder thing.  And we have to be more intentional about it.  But the greater upside is the joy you get from putting your attention there.

So let’s think:  what do you appreciate more now that you’ve been living through a pandemic?  Come on, write it down, review and add to it every day!

Connection vs Loneliness
From “The 100 Simple Secrets of Happy People” by David Niven, PhD: Contrary to the belief that happiness is hard to explain, or that it depends on having great wealth, researchers have identified the core factors in a happy life.  The primary components are number of friends, closeness of friends, closeness of family, and relationships with co-workers and neighbors.  Together these features explain about 70 percent of personal happiness.” This even applies to introverts!

Normally, without a world-wide pandemic, we spend A LOT of time working; am I right?  Yet, when asked what is most important to us and brings the most joy, we answer “family” or “friends,” but it may be the thing in which we allow the least amount of time.  I know we have to earn a living to pay those bills, but we have some free time.  What do we do with it?

But now, with Covid-19’s social distancing, even hermits wish for social interaction.  We’re getting lonely. Loneliness is a real and serious thing.  It’s been proven that MRIs of POWs showed more damage in those who were in solitary confinement as compared to those locked up with others.  Feeling lonely causes your cortisol levels to soar—as much as experiencing a physical attack!

I’ve been lonely in a crowd of people.  I bet you have, too.  John Cacioppo was an expert on loneliness, and he said, “feeling lonely isn’t caused by the mere absence of people.  We feel lonely because we’re not sharing with others, not connecting with them.”  A dangerous fact when a virus is keeping us from connecting.

So let’s do something practical about that.  Schedule a zoom call or a meet in the park with a friend or family member and put it on your calendar.  That gives it the priority it deserves, and gives you joy just thinking about it.  Text someone and let them know you are thinking about them.  Now might be a good time to reconnect with an old friend.  I’m just as guilty as anyone in this regard.  Because I’m feeling the pain of not connecting, I’ve entered a weekly “Contact a friend” on my schedule.  You’d think I wouldn’t need to do that, but weeks have flown by before I realized I’ve become a hermit!

Help
Martin Seligman, a leading expert on happiness says, “…we scientists have found that doing a kindness, produces the single most reliable momentary increase in well-being of any exercise we have tested.”  And even better yet, when someone else sees you helping someone else, they are more inclined to help someone.  So the term “paying it forward” really does work! 

And of course, if YOU need help, please don’t be afraid to ask others, or here on Joyopolis.  We have a Care Team that would love to listen to you and help. 

Optimism & Laughter
Okay, I’m not talking about Pollyanna here.  There are times where looking at everything in an optimistic light is a terrible idea.  If an airline pilot is drunk and figures everything will be fine if he flew 162 passengers transcontinental….uh…no, that’s not optimism, that’s stupid. 

The best way to stay optimistic is to find things that make you laugh!  Change your “isn’t-everything-terrible” mindset to something more positive by changing your perspective.  What way can you change your mind set in an unpleasant situation?  For instance:  you are quarantined AGAIN.  What long-forgotten project can you do around the house that will not only give you a feeling of accomplishment, but will keep you from sitting and watching all the episodes of Gilmore Girls for the umpteenth time?

So…after writing this, I’m asking myself “what have I learned from Covid-19 and how is it going to change what I do moving forward?” 
1) Thankfulness: I’m going to daily thank the Lord for my life and those I love.
2) Connection: I’m going to connect with a different friend each week, telling them what I’m specifically grateful for in their friendship.

Do you want to change moving forward?  Would you like to join me? 

Let’s start our own pandemic of joy & goodwill:
(thankfulness, connection, help and laughter)

Here’s what you can do:

1.     Spend some time thinking about what you’ve learned during this pandemic and make note of it.

2.     Choose one (Thankful, Connection, Help, Optimism/Laughter) and do it at least once a week.  Choose another after mastering your first choice!

3.     Act on the Connection:  Spread and connect the thankfulness, help, optimism and laughter by sharing this link with a friend.  Joyopolis.org

“Unfortunately, many have learned how to die with this virus.  Now we must learn how to live with it.” 

-Eric Barker, blogger

Appreciation goes to Eric Barker and his blog posts “Barking Up the Wrong Tree,” for many of these thoughts and factual data.