Recently, I heard an entrepreneur use a term I had not heard before: She said she felt like she was on a knife-edge as she was growing her business.

A knife edge is a situation where nobody knows whether something good or bad is going to happen next.  The company could fail at any moment.

As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, many of us find ourselves in this dilemma.  A plethora of information is available right now.  Here are a few commonsense suggestions to weather out this storm.

Stay calm

The fear of the unknown we are facing every day may be worse than the virus itself.  Hoarding hand sanitizer, toilet paper and such is a fear-based reaction.  Stay calm.  We’ll get through this and will probably be in better shape than the doom and gloom networks will have you believe.  Meditate, pray, share with friends and loved ones.  Whatever works best to help you keep calm.

Go on a news diet

The news gives you three options: gloom, gloomier, gloomiest.  You will find a positive nugget thrown in occasionally, but the 24-hour news cycle pounds you with negativity.  The situation isn’t going to change in the next few hours so turn off your TV and streaming device.  I suggest limiting yourself to 30 minutes of news a day during this time.

Be Kind

Do what you can do to help those less fortunate than you.  Adopt a shelter dog, feed the homeless, volunteer for Meals on Wheels.  Whatever you feel moved to do to help others goes a long way.  Spend more time with your loved ones.   Make your choice and act on it.

Sharpen the saw

If you have more downtime than usual, make good use of it.  Find a great book on a topic that would be of value in your business or in your personal life.  Take advantage of the slower pace to read, plan and execute.

Have some fun

Watch a comedy or a thriller.  Go on a hike.  Get out into nature and let it soothe you.  Turn up the music and dance around your living room.

Follow these suggestions, look for the positives and hopefully the Knife Edge won’t be such a scary place.