New! Wellbeing Platform Buyer's Guide: 2025-2026 Edition
For many of us, our work and home lives have collided. Literally. And success will take more than tips for setting up your home office. How can you keep your cool, be your best, and grow in this moment? Regain a sense of control by downloading our latest infographic and following the 5 purposeful steps below.
Download the infographic here Get the Infographic
COVID-19 is impacting all of us—across the globe—in unique ways. Some of us might be working from home for the very first time, while others are already seasoned pros. With sheltering at home the new norm, work has become personal like never before. Work-life integration is no longer just a theory. For most of us it’s very real. Childcare challenges aside, there are silver linings. We’re more authentically connected to our workmates and clients alike. We’re virtually in the homes of one another, meeting kids and pets, and starting conversations with real, caring discussions.
As the initial shock wears off and we begin to settle into a new daily rhythm, many of us are asking: how do we feel more in control when things around us seem out of control? How do we create new routines to help us be at our best for those who rely on us? How do we stay productive, focused, and positive?
One answer: To bring greater intention and focus on purpose into each day. Here are five practical ways to strengthen your purpose “muscle” each day, to help you thrive and even grow during this turbulent time.
Handling the changes that come with living during this time of uncertainty isn’t easy, but focusing on the good things we do have in our lives—whether it’s a roof over our head, having loved ones close by, flexibility to work from home, or having steady work—helps remind us that even when it seems like everything else is doom and gloom, we still have things to be grateful for. Stepping back and practicing gratitude for what you have represents a simple, yet powerful action you can take any time anywhere, with immediate emotional wellbeing benefits.
Doing good for others does good for you, too. Performing acts of kindness (no matter how small) lowers cortisol (the stress hormone), improves immune function, and reduces emotions like anxiety, anger, and depression. Doing good for others also helps you get out of your own head. Instead of ruminating, your energy gets redirected toward someone or something else. We all benefit from practicing more intentional acts of kindness.
Humans are naturally social creatures, so missing out on the frequent and small but meaningful interactions we’re used to—running into old friends out on a walk, stopping to pet someone’s dog, saying thanks to the cashier at the grocery store—can seem pretty weird. Luckily, people are adapting by finding ways to maintain and even strengthen the connections they do have. Many folks are taking advantage of videoconferencing tools to catch up face to face, virtually trying traditionally in-person activities like karaoke, trivia, and coworking. Now is as good time as any to pick up your phone and call friends you’ve lost touch with or ones you haven’t had a chance to connect with lately — they’re likely to benefit from your call as much as you do.
One way to feel a greater sense of control in your life is to set an intention to learn and grow each day. An intention could be as big as learning a new language, or as simple as taking five minutes at the beginning of your day for some deep breathing.
If this seems overwhelming, start small. Pick one phrase you’d like to learn in a language you don’t know and start there. Then use the phrase daily for 3 days. Or set aside one minute this afternoon to take 4 slow, deep breaths. Then set a reminder to do it daily for the rest of this week.
Making the choice to do something, no matter what it is, allows you to exert a healthy level of control in your life at a time when we’re all feeling like nothing is within our control.
It’s important to take intentional breaks throughout the day. While working (and doing everything else) from home, the natural breaks you had at the office might not be duplicated at home. Walking to the bathroom, grabbing a snack from the kitchen, catching up with coworkers at the watercooler, are no longer natural breaks in your day. Besides not having your natural breaks, you’re probably also watching the news, listening to the radio, and checking social media, which while in small doses may be necessary, adds more stress to an already stressful time.
Take time to center yourself: reminding yourself of the purposes in your life and taking a few deep cleansing breaths can work to lower stress and help you regain composure during the chaos.
Complete the form to download the infographic.
Subscribe for the latest research, tools, and updates to elevate your people strategy.
.avif)
