Leverage the internet to level up during your quarantine! There are so many things you can do to gain relevant experience for personal development while you’re stuck at home during COVID-19.
Take an online course
Take the free time you might have now to learn a skill you could later utilize in your professional or personal life to improve. This could be learning how to day trade to give you that extra income you need for your startup. Or an online Spanish course for your 2021 trip to Mexico. Click here to view 43 online short courses given by Canadian universities.
Add something to your routine & see how it helps in your personal development
Ok, it doesn’t have to be Yoga. But adding something to your weekly routine can really offer you a lot. Whether it’s exercise, a selfless act such as volunteering or picking up a hobby like sewing & clothes making… you’ll quickly notice you’re not only learning a new skill, but you’re learning how to learn. Our brain needs to stay in a state of change and growth to stay sharp. It’s so easy to fall into a repetitive routine and feel like we are on auto-pilot; it’s not surprising we get the Monday blues more often than once a week!
Force yourself to be creative
You’re not bored during quarantine I hope?! I’m not even talking about picking up random hobbies to pass the time. I’m talking about forcing yourself to do something you’ve done multiple times but in a different way. Force yourself to find a way to accomplish your menial tasks in a different way.
Meditate
I’ve personally witnessed the benefits of meditation in my professional life. It is truly amazing what you are capable of doing once you are able to focus all of your attention in the present moment; kind of like taking that limitless pill. You can start by doing only 1 minute a day and you will notice undeniable results. Click here for information on the most powerful meditation technique; Vipassana.
Commit to volunteer work
I know, unoriginal. Have you done it though? It’s insane the perception change you’ll get from doing “work” without getting paid. In today’s world, it’s not something everyone is accustomed to. To be able to disconnect from your daily grind and to give up on that sense of “work for reward” is truly enlightening. This short change of perception can easily be brought into our social and professional lives to promote growth and fluidity. Given the year we’ve had, this is the BEST time to get started with this. A simple google search of the words “volunteer” with your city will get you started.
Self-reflecting- A major step towards personal development
Most of us do this subconsciously, maybe on auto-pilot… different labels we could attach to this would be self-doubt, overthinking, egocentric, self-centred? Like what does it even mean to self-reflect in a way that benefits us? Replaying our day and actions in our head while keeping a step back is super helpful; kind of like when Kobe Bryant would rewatching his old games, carefully analyzing how he could improve. Keep emotions and judgement out your self-analysis to stray away from self-pity, self-doubt or victimizing; remain objective.