Motivational Monday – Back to work after a quarantine – 3 Tips for a smooth transition

As I crossed the threshold into the facility where I work, I was greeted with a defining silence. There were no people walking laps. No members sipping coffee and chatting. Back to work was not business as usual.

I pumped a squirt of hand sanitizer into the palm of my hand and rubbed vigorously. Then I took my temperature and recorded it on the questionnaire. This was not business as usual; it was the new normal.

If you work outside the home, you will return to work soon, if you have not already.  Are you ready for the new normal due to COVID-19? Below are three tips to help you ease into a new normal.

1.      Keep a positive attitude – rules and policies will be different. Understand that it may take time to adjust change. Create a daily mantra or keep uplifting quotes at your desk.

2.      Be patient – this applies not only at work, but during your lunch break, while running errands, etc. There may be longer lines at the grocery store, the bank, and other places you frequent. Take a book to read while in line.

3.       Establish a routine – you are creating a new normal, it’s a good time to set a new routine. Perhaps there are safety measures you are responsible for daily, schedule them at the same time each day.

At the end of the day as the computer is powered down, and lights turned off, I take a final glance 

around the office before closing the door. As I walk away my thoughts follow me, Lord, thank you for this day, no matter what the future may hold.

What tips do you have for preparing to go back to work after a quarantine?

Feel Good Friday – What’s in your spiritual bank account?

Photo Credit: Jubilee Online Church

As we shelter in place, one day transitions into another without much delineation of what day it really is. I’ve often caught myself asking my son, “Is today Tuesday or Wednesday?”

“It’s Thursday.”

“Oh, that’s right trash day was yesterday.” Trash day was my identifier for the day of the week.

Our world is in a state of crisis. How do you handle a crisis? Each of us experiences pain, devastation, and emotion differently. One thing that is constant is that a Spiritual Bank account can come in handy. If you haven’t opened an account yet, it doesn’t take much to get started.

Make small, regular deposits to your account with consistent prayer as your currency. Pray over all areas of your life – family, finances, health. Build up a reserve that is ready for you in the event that a withdrawal is needed. Perhaps you set a low balance alert for yourself. This can simply be in the form of asking yourself, did I stop to pray or give thanks today?

I made a deposit into my account the other day as I ventured out of the house to visit my other. The last time I saw her was February when we got together for lunch. This time, we gathered for a Holiday, Memorial Day; a day set aside to remember veterans who lost their lives serving our country. It is also a time family and friends come together to embrace one another and create memories.

This year’s Holiday was different. Embracing family (outside of your household), and friends is discouraged. We took our chances, we hugged each other.  It was a brief embrace type of greeting, but it felt good to be with family. Don’t get me wrong, we took nothing lightly. There was constant hand washing and hand sanitizer available. And there was also Mama, a praying woman. This counted for yet another deposit into the Spiritual Bank account.

Your Spiritual Bank Account can include praying for others, praying for your community, and praying for healing. You decide your focus. During this time of the COVID virus, let’s take out this trash on Wednesday with the rest of the garbage.

As the adage says, It takes a village to raise a child; It’s going to take a village to fight against the crisis we are experiencing. Together we can do it. Keep a balance in your Spiritual Bank Account with prayer. Have a relationship with Jesus. Believe. Trust. Faith over Fear.

Make a deposit into your Spiritual Bank Account. There are no fees charges. Christ paid the cost long ago.

Fun Friday – Life with a Side of Silly

Practice being silly - This sign was spotted while I was out walking my neighborhood.
Yes, I obeyed the sign and so did my sons

When was the last time you did something silly? There is a gospel song with the lyrics, “Sometimes you have to encourage yourself…” Allow yourself to ease up on your inhibitions and let your inner child come out to play. A little silly goes a long way in encouraging and uplifting your day.

Is it just me?

Is it just me or do random thought pop into your head sometimes that cause you to laugh out loud? My hands have been extremely dry due to excessive handwashing during this time of viruses. I’ll spare you the details on the dryness of my feet. Anyway, I set off to the store in search of Vaseline because ordinary lotions were not relieving the ashen tone of my hands.

On two different occasions and two different stores, the shelves were bare of Vaseline. I did not want to make a third trip to the store that week. Then I remembered what one store clerk told me, “You can check the baby section. Sometimes Vaseline is there too.”

I moved expeditiously to the baby section of the store. I looked high and I looked low, no Vaseline. Until at eye level I saw something else…Aquaphor. Aquaphor is pretty much the same consistency of petroleum jelly (Vaseline), at least in my eyes it’s the same.

Just as I was about to grab the Aquaphor and toss it into my shopping cart, I read the small print. “Relieves diaper rash within 6 hours.”

Aquaphor - Will this work for my tough adult skin?

I didn’t have a diaper rash, nor did I have a baby at home. The Vaseline would have to wait until my next trip to the store.

Working from Home

If you’re not used to working from home, be prepared for a learning curve. Things you’ll need to determine are: Where do I set up my office? Does my printer still work? How many trips to the fridge do I allow myself? Yes, you read that right. Some days I find the need to social distance myself from the refrigerator.

What can be done in place of making excessive amounts of trips to the fridge? I tried dancing and drinking water before reaching for a snack. A peek at my effort can be found in the video below.

College Students Surviving COVID-19 at Home

What can be fun about being in a crisis? Absolutely nothing. How do you cope with a crisis? Create an outlet. And that is what three college students did. Check out the video below.

When was the last time you did something silly?