The Opportunities of Crisis and Quarantine
COVID-19 and the ensuing societal response make for strange times indeed. This is not another “what we’re doing” or “steps we can all take” email. You’ve had plenty of those already. We want to offer a few ways of seeing this time that are valuable during any challenging situation. We also see an incredible opportunity to use our self-quarantine time for good.
The most important thing we can do right now is to invest this time and grow from it. To support you in that, we are offering the 30x30 Challenge for only $1. Our hope is that you will get friends to join and commit to seizing the opportunity in front of you. The offer lasts through April 17 with the promo code: CORONA
ONE FROM THE AGES
Challenging situations either make us wither from stress or stand a bit taller with defiant fortitude. The Stoic philosopher Seneca on the opportunity for growth that every hardship brings:
“I judge you unfortunate because you have never lived through misfortune. You have passed through life without an opponent- no one can ever know what you are capable of, not even you.”
ONE FROM TODAY
Sebastian Junger’s book Tribe is one of the very first things that brought Shane and me together to form IHD. Here are two selections that capture the opportunity that COVID-19 brings us:
“If you want to make a society work, then you don’t keep underscoring the places where you’re different—you underscore your shared humanity.”
“An earthquake achieves what the law promises but does not in practice maintain…The equality of all men.”
Source: Tribe: On Homecoming and Belonging by Sebastian Junger
ONE FROM US
As with all major crises, we have the opportunity to unite or allow the situation to pull us apart. I am focusing on the individual aspects that I can do to improve the situation:
The fear is real. Whether or not you believe that another person’s fear is rational, the emotions that they feel are genuine and disturbing to them. Those of us with a non-doomsday outlook owe our more fear-driven fellow humans grace and understanding.
We all share something. As Sebastian Junger writes, it often takes an earthquake (or war, natural disaster, or pandemic) to make us drop all our other pretenses to band together for a shared cause. We have this opportunity now. Lately its felt natural - almost inevitable - to form instant bonds with other people. Our differences feel more trivial and meaningless than ever before. We all share something, and it’s something beautiful.
We also have an opportunity to use our self-quarantine time for good. Not only have many of us been given a mandatory family stay-cation, but we can capitalize on the freedom and time this allows.
As we settle into a different daily flow - working from home, not working at all, kids at home and everyone going a bit stir crazy - we need systems to make this time fruitful rather than an indefinite Netflix binge. Regardless of what else is happening around you, prioritize eating well, drinking water, moving your body, and remaining committed to your personal values.
We built a 30-day program on the three IHD daily core habits of movement, meditation, and reinforcing important values. Now is the perfect time to dive into this program. At 30-minutes per day, it gives you daily structure without detracting from your other responsibilities. You can do all of the short movement sessions in your living room with no equipment. The best part is, we want to offer it to you for only $1 (regularly $39.99)
For the next month, you can get the 30x30 program for only $1 using the code: CORONA (or just follow this special link for the discount) valid thru. April 17, 2020
I hope you’re all finding positives throughout this unprecedented time.
And remember, life is too short to be normal…and don’t forget to wash your hands.
Justin
PS - If you’re enjoying this train of thought, here are a few more articles from us to keep it going: