 Well friends, it's been quite the week. Many of us are still wasted deep in canceled programs, rescheduling programs, crafting addendums for programs, and communicating to our stakeholders about all the canceled events through this COVID crisis. Once this flood of activity passes though, a lot of us are gonna find ourselves working from home with more time on our hands because of a reduced workload, a reduced schedule, reduced commute time, or even commuting in general. So I've crafted a list of activities that we can do as meeting and events professionals to get us through this time of self-isolation. Won't you join me on this journey? Hence, it's Leanne, and along with all of you, I am absolutely heartbroken over the events of the past week, and there's no end in sight who knows how long this is going to last. It's been financially devastating, but also gut-wrenching to watch all of our clients hard work over the past months go down the drain. It's so hard to see the good that can come out of this crisis, but friends, there is a lot of good coming from COVID-19. Our industry is coming together like never before. I've had the great pleasure of working with some incredibly compassionate understanding and patient hotel partners over the past week. In fact, I filmed a little bit of a thank you to our hotel partners as well as to our clients. Just a brief little hello, but you can check out that video here. And friends, it's times like this where it reminds me why I'm in this industry. For a lot of us, this is also a time of change as our employers are asking us to work from home or work a reduced work schedule. So now we have this unexpected gift of time on our hands when we're no longer commuting, we're no longer working a full schedule and what are we going to do with ourselves? And that's why I wanted to do today's post because it would be very easy for us to become depressed about the state of our industry, but this might actually be the time where we really elevate the industry and we do so by improving ourselves. And so here's my list of things that you can do to stay productive over the next week or weeks so that when we do return to full-time employment, we come with fresh new ideas, a fresh energy and maybe some more professional development behind us. Before we begin, don't forget to subscribe to this YouTube channel. Today's video about productivity tips is only one of many that I put out to the meanings industry. My goal really is to pass along resources that help make your day, your career and your life just a little bit better. So let's take a look at how we can make the most of our time during COVID-19. Idea number one, now is the time to dream. If you've been given some days off or even a few hours off, this could be the chance for you to create that next big idea or project. Now, when I'm working on projects like this, I lean on a vision board with a bunch of post-it notes but I also use what's called a mind map template. And you can find a link to the template in the description for this video. And I'm hopeful that that mind map template will help you map out your next dream. Tip number two, read. And there are so many great titles out there. From tools of Titans to this is marketing, the art of membership, the art of gathering, uncommon sense and of course, Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook, one of my favorite marketing books. Whether it's marketing that's your thing or not, find a book that speaks to you and finally tackle it. Tip number three, update your LinkedIn profile. I love LinkedIn, it's a great social media platform for the meetings industry. And if you need some tips on how to update your profile, you can find it here. But now is the time to polish it up and make it look a little bit more professional. Tip number four, listen to podcasts. I've been addicted to podcasts lately. I listen to them when I ski, when I run, when I'm doing chores in the house, it's just been a great use of my time. And I've outlined a few podcasts that I listen to and hopefully you'll find some value in them as well. Tip number five, rest. Because in a few weeks, we might not get that opportunity to rest again. It'll be back to work and back to the grind. So if you have opportunity to get some rest, now's the time to do it. Tip number six, exercise and drink lots of water. You should be doing this already, but now with this virus around, it is important that you stay healthy and both exercise and water will help you get and stay healthy. So make sure you're doing both of those things on a daily basis. Tip number seven, create. When we tap into our brain's creative centers, we end up happier, more inspired, and more relaxed. And that is what we need in this time more than anything else. So if you have some time to get back to a hobby of yours, please do it. This is, couldn't find a better time to do that. And for my friends out there who have never worked from home before, this is an incredible time of change. And I've done a ton of posts a year about working from home. The playlist to those videos is found right here. I encourage you to check out all of the work from home videos and blog posts that I've done and hopefully set you up for success now that you transition into a work from home environment. I'm going to leave you with my top three work from home tips right now. Tip number one, carve out a space in your home where you can get some work done. If you're just starting out, this is going to be difficult but I highly encourage you to do it. Find a space that you can call your own and get down to business. Tip number two, take regular breaks. Being cooped up at home can cramp your creativity so ensure that you build in some breaks and maybe some fresh air so that it can spark your creativity and encourage you to get back to work. And finally, tip three, use technology to connect with your team. Now is not the time to distance yourself from people when you have the technology to become closer to your team, to your family, your friends and your peers. Stay connected to one another even when you're in self-isolation. I also want to mention three things that I think could be detrimental to your health during this time of self-isolation at COVID-19. Number one, do not binge on Netflix. TV has shown to lead to depression. It does not spark your creativity centers and it does not invoke rest. So please, if you can find something else to do during this time, watch TV in moderation. Tip number two, do not consume too many processed foods. I know there's lots of tins of soups and cans of beans flying off the shelves, but try to consume as many fresh vegetables and fruits as possible during this time. Tip number three, try not to feel too stressed or anxious at this time. It's a huge ask, but feeling those things is only gonna lead you to feeling more depressed and less creative. Try to divert by getting back to those creative activities that I mentioned earlier. And friends, if you are doing some creative activities or perhaps you're going to do a mind map or a vision board about an idea or project, will you let me know what that project is? I might just share my next project with you as well. Everyone, this time is not to be taken lightly. There are a lot of people out there that are susceptible to this virus. So please heed the warnings and stay in self-isolation, stay at home with your loved ones and continue to contribute to our vibrant industry in the ways that I've described in this video. Together, we are all event crops strong. Take care, everyone, bye for now.