CNBC Make It is posting a new financial task to tackle each day for a month. These are all meant to be simple, time-sensitive activities to take your mind off of the news for a moment and, hopefully, put you on sturdier financial footing. This is day 19 of 30.
The past few weeks have been filled with uncertainty, stress, isolation and, for many, loss of employment and income. There’s no shortage of things to do: Many people are not only coping with precarious financial situations, but trying to balance work, taking care of children and keeping up with daily household tasks all on their own, all the time. Not to mention keeping informed on the latest news about Covid-19.
That’s a lot for any one person to handle. So today, take one thing off of your to-do list. That could be the book you’ve been meaning to read but can’t seem to focus on or the note you made to yourself to research your company’s 401(k) plan.
It doesn’t mean you will never do these things. But right now, when there is so much going on that needs constant attention, you may not have the mental energy for any other distractions. And that’s OK.
“Part of the job, for all of us, is how we cope with all of these emotions that we are experiencing in a way that doesn’t leave us so drained and unable,” Lynn Bufka, clinical psychologist and senior director at the American Psychological Association, told CNBC Make It. “It’s going to be a personal process for everyone in that regard.”
Focus on your non-negotiable tasks — working, making meals for your family, engaging in activities that help your mental health, practicing safe social distancing — and let the other, non-essential tasks slide for now. Take things one day at a time.
Remember, this is temporary — you can always pick that book back up when there’s less to worry about.
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