Finding the Bright Side in this Crazy Coronavirus Time

MMI's Tips for Surviving this COVID-19 New Way of Life

A little over a month ago, I was preparing for my busy spring season. I filled my days finalizing BEO, giving guarantees, and confirming vendors and registrants.  Then that coronavirus we all heard about that had seemed a world away spread a bit too close to home, and clients and attendees started to worry. My usual busy season prep suddenly turned into a month of reading and rereading force majeure clauses.  I was compelled to have SO MANY difficult conversations with clients and hotels.  

Just when I thought I had handled the current situation with grace and compassion for all involved, reality set in. The coronavirus - COVID-19 - changed the entire world as we know it. For everyone. Now I find myself with little to no face-to-face interaction with the outside world as I work from home in what is the new normal for many.  

I did not handle it well. Let’s face it: meeting planners are extroverts. All of us in the hospitality and events industry are.  We THRIVE on talking to what feels like 10,000 people a day, solving event-related crisis, and hitting 20,000 steps on our Apple Watch before noon.  SOCIAL DISTANCING is MUCH NEEDED, and we all need to do our part to stay home… but I’d be lying if I said this whole situation was easy for me to accept with a career based ENTIRELY on creating SOCIAL GATHERINGS.

As this new reality set in, I worked through the Kubler-Ross models’ five stages of grief:  

1. 1.  DENIAL: “No need to cancel, this will pass.”
2. 2.  ANGER: At the nitty-gritty contract language that I thought was perfect months ago, only to find it may not help in this case. 
3. 3.  BARGAINING: With hotels, other venues, vendors, and even clients.
4. 4.  DEPRESSION: “Why get out of pajamas today?”  
5. 5.  ACCEPTANCE: The hardest one for a control freak like me.   

I gave myself a Netflix binge day or two, (highly recommend The Great Interior Design Challenge!) but knew I must use this time to find fresh ways to provide better service to my clients - and to take better care of myself.  Now is the time to focus on how to make the best of our new normal.  One without deadlines, interaction, eating out and visiting the gym. The only way to succeed in this new way of life is to create a daily routine.

Structured days are much needed for planners like me who do not do well with “open play” time... 

• Step1: Stick to a morning routine.

The alarm goes off at 7:00 am and then I allow myself one hour to catch up on the news while drinking my coffee - but only ONE HOUR to prevent getting sucked into that black hole.  

• Step 2:  Work out.  

I’ve never been a fan of long walks (So boring! Too slow! Event planners like to move, move, move!), but learned to embrace them at least a few times a week.  One way to look forward to a different workout routine is downloading podcasts you only allow yourself to listen to during that time.  I savor every episode of my new favorite podcast, To Live and Die in LA, during these walks.  Luckily, I am blessed to live in a small town on the Potomac River. These long walks on the C&O canal are a fantastic way to enjoy some fresh air while soaking up some much-needed vitamin D - a must so I don’t go back to stage four, depression. 

• Step 3: Shower and dress in real clothes.   

Really, showering is on my daily to-do list? Yes! It is so easy to slack on essential hygiene when stuck at home every day. There is no shame in a little reminder to take care of oneself and get out of those sweats.  

• Step 4: Work for a good block of time with breaks scheduled for household chores.

Once showered and dressed, I get to work. With the kids and husband also working from home, household upkeep is a necessity to make sure we don’t start living in filth! Ha! Then it is back to work for a few more hours before it is time to fix dinner with the family.   
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• Step 5: Evening family-time, and/or me-time.

I spend evenings watching TV (we can all thank Hulu for releasing Little Fires Everywhere), reading (time to finally cross books off my list!), or doing a puzzle, (I’m a total geek with zero shame for how much I love doing a good puzzle).

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Let's help each other find the bright side in these uncertain times!

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I don’t mean to sound like I have it all figure out - goodness knows I don’t.  Heck, there’s a 50% chance next week you’ll find me lying in bed for ten hours a day, eating chips, and watching reruns of Gilmore Girls.  BUT to hopefully avoid that downfall (and the 20-pound weight gain that would sure to follow), I wanted to share my tips in case it helps others - AND to hold myself accountable to it.

​My point of all this? Let's help each other find the Bright Side in the situation. I will continue sharing posts of all the things I am doing to keep myself, and those I care about, sane during this crazy situation we all find ourselves in now. 

What about you? What tips do you have to share to help navigate these times? Comment below! For now, here's a couple more tips below to get this thing moving!

MMI Bright Side Tip: Stay Connected with Employees & Coworkers 
​I started a “Bright Side” text with my team.  Each morning one of us shares something positive about the current situation.  Shelly’s “Bright Side” for today: “Being able to spend quality time with those that are home with us.”  Reading these each day puts a smile on my face and allows me to take a deep breath and appreciate life.

MMI Bright Side Tip: Do a Little Something "Extra" Each Day to Help Out  ​
How I’m holding myself accountable: I started bringing a bag with me on my walks to pick up any trash I see. ​

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Author: Diane Fulton, MMI President

Proud owner and President of Meeting Masters, Inc., a 100-percent woman-owned, full-service event planning and management company since 1993.