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4 Covid-19 Changes to Keep for the Long Haul

By Gunjan Saini | Knowledge Base | No Comments

Covid-19 has forever changed our work, our social interactions, and even how we view ourselves. We’ve come to understand our own limits better, even as we’ve learned the importance of self-care. That doesn’t mean, however, we’ve enjoyed the experience.

Let’s be honest: Plenty of those changes we’ll be happy to discard once it’s safe to do so. Which of them, however, should we consider keeping for the long haul?

While you’re likely sick of social distancing, there are a few changes beyond more frequent handwashing that you should keep long after the pandemic has ended:

1. Setting Your Own Schedule

Covid-19 turned our world upside down and turned our days into a grey fog of sameness. We learned, intentionally or not, how to clear the haze by controlling our schedule.

We need our work time, our quiet time, and our family time. As Calendar suggests, we thrive on routine, and losing it can leave us feeling lost and disoriented.

Make a point, if you don’t already, to separate your work and play spaces. Set clear work and “office” hours. When it’s time to put one down, take the other up with a vengeance.

To be clear, you don’t need to have every minute of the day rigidly scheduled out. But if there’s one thing you should hold on to once the pandemic is over, it’s the importance of making time for all aspects of your life.

2. Embracing Mental and Emotional Care

You’ve likely heard the phrase “collective trauma” more than once over the past year. You may have even experienced its symptoms: chiefly irritability, frustration, and depression.

For many of us, this has required making a conscious effort to cope. It’s meant figuring out what keeps us sane in a world that has, too often, seemed like it’s gone mad.

Maybe you need to schedule in gym time, some counseling sessions, or even a Covid-safe spa day. Or, to the point above, it might just entail making sure you have uninterrupted family time on your calendar.

Do what you need to take care of yourself. Make your mental and emotional health your top priority this year.

3. Taking Being Sick Seriously

Too often, we treat common colds as annoyances we have to push aside and power through. It’s understandable: colds aren’t, generally speaking, serious illnesses. Covid-19 reminded us that some infections, however, are.

According to LinkedIn, workers took an average of just 2.5 sick days in 2018. Sick employees aren’t only less productive, but they risk infecting others and affecting their productivity.

The bottom line is, overextending yourself when you’re sick doesn’t help anyone. Focusing on what’s important and taking the time to recover, on the other hand, helps everyone.

That might involve staying in when you want to go out with friends. It might mean rescheduling a meeting or moving an in-person appointment to a virtual one. Realize that your being ill affects others. So stay home and focus on recovery.

4. Telecommuting

This change should catch no one by surprise. Over the past year, “telecommute” has become almost as familiar a word as “pandemic.”

To be sure, not every job or industry is suited for at-home work. Not everyone will have the option to work remotely once Covid-19 has passed.

For those who can telecommute, however, the arrangement can be a godsend. Remote workers are as productive as, if not more productive than, their in-office team members. Leaders can leverage the perk to expand their talent pool and to save on office costs.

Make no mistake: offices, gyms, and schools will reopen once the pandemic is over. But at the same time, telecommuting is here to stay.

Although it can be difficult to see silver linings in something like a pandemic, Covid-19 has its share. The challenge, of course, is seizing them at the same time you steer your life back to “normal.” Fortunately, you have the entire world as company.

15 Productivity Hacks that Have Become Irrelevant (Thanks COVID)

By John Rampton | Appointment | No Comments

As 2020, finally, has come to an end, I can’t help but reflect on how much the world has changed so quickly. For some of this has been overcoming mental health challenges and adjusting our lifestyles. Others have actually used the pandemic to finally put their priorities at the forefront, such as improving their health or spending more quality time with loved ones.

While COVID-19 has affected each and every one of them differently, there’s also no denying that it’s completely turned productivity inside out. Most notably, the productivity hacks that have been promoted for years are no longer effective. In fact, most of these strategies aren’t even realistic anymore and we have to adjust.

While I’m not hating on traditional productivity techniques, the new reality is that they are outdated and must be adapted. For example, these popular productivity hacks just aren’t cutting any longer following COVID-19.

1. The early bird catches the worm.

I’m sure that you’ve come across this adage a million times. In fact, this has been championed by some of the most productive and successful people throughout time. Everyone from Ben Franklin, Tim Cook, Michelle Obama, and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson are morning birds.

To be fair, there is merit to being an early riser. “It’s been said that morning birds are more proactive, consistent, and aren’t rushing out the door,” Deanna Ritchie wrote in a previous Calendar article. “What’s more, it’s a pretty good time to exercise or find your muse. And, because the world is still sleeping, you’re more productive.”

“Here’s the problem with that,” adds Deanna. “Not everyone is an early riser.” And, you can blame genetics for this.

“Biological differences between early birds and night owls exist,” Robert Matchock, associate professor of psychology at Penn State Altoona, told Fast Company. “The hormone melatonin, whose rise makes the body feel less alert, decreases later in the morning for night owls.” Larks also “have a higher core body temperature in the afternoon, which can be a sign of increased energy at that time,” he added.

So, instead of forcing yourself to wake up at some ungodly hour, follow your own circadian rhythm. Now that you aren’t fighting against yourself, you can plan your schedule when you’re at your best.

And, since you may be homeschooling your kids, there’s another way that this could work in your favor as well. If you’re a night owl, you can focus on your most important work when the kids go to bed. That means you can be with them during the day while still being productive during your peak hours.

2. You need a morning routine.

Yet another common productivity hack promoted by successful individuals is having a morning routine. Look, I totally get it. These habits can supercharge your day since they can set the tone for the day.

But, let’s be real here. Not all morning routines are created equal. Case in point, the hour-long morning routine of Tim Ferriss.

“In an ideal world, we’d all start our mornings like Tim Ferriss,” notes Audrey Goodson Kingo for Working Mother. “The podcaster, investor and productivity expert told Business Insider he begins his day with a ‘very clearly defined’ 60-minute morning routine that includes precisely 22 minutes of meditation, drinking tea (preferably oolong), journaling and working out (on a Peloton or doing acroyoga).”

Ferriss calls it the “recipe” needed to “set up” the rest of his day. While I have nothing against it, it’s just not realistic for everyone, in particular parents.

“Over here in the real world, most working parents begin their day soothing grumpy children and yapping pets while chugging a giant cup of coffee,” states Kingo. “Our ‘recipes’ typically involve pouring cereal in a bowl.”

If you can, definitely try to have some sort of morning routine. But, make sure that you keep it simple enough so that it’s realistic. Most parents recommend prepping at much as you can the night before so that you do have the time to squeeze in some physical activity, journaling, and definitely getting the coffee percolating.

3. Never check your email in the AM.

“I understand why this sounds like a good tip: Reading and responding to email could derail your entire morning and set you back (you know when your 15 minutes of reviewing emails turn into 45—and suddenly, you’re late for work,” writes Emmy Award-winning television producer and founder of ListProducer.com Paula Rizzo. “But, in so many industries, it can be difficult to ignore what has been going on overnight—even for a few hours.”

“Translation: This tip just isn’t realistic in your fast-paced life,” continues Rizzo. “In fact, it might actually cause additional anxiety before you even get into the office.”

To fix this, Rizzo says to go ahead and check your email in the morning. However, “don’t respond unless it will take you less than a minute.” For messages that only require a “yes” or “no” or “that can be forwarded to someone who can take care of it for you is fine,” she adds.

“But anything that requires research or a longer response is off-limits. Mark that message as “unread,” and “go back to it later when you have more time,” adds Rizzo. “Better yet, add it to your to-do list so you’ll be sure to check on it later.”

“Scrolling through and skimming emails first thing in the morning is a good use of time even when you can’t respond right away. Letting them marinate before firing off a response can be invaluable.”

4. You have to eat frogs in the morning.

The frog concept was popularized by author Brian Tracey. For the uninitiated, it doesn’t mean literally eating frogs — which I don’t find all that appetizing. Instead, it’s tackling your most important or challenging task bright and early.

I totally get the appeal here. Most of us tend to be most alert and energetic in the morning. Besides, once this is no longer hanging over your head, it feels like a weight has been lifted off your shoulders.

But, as already mentioned, not everyone is a morning person. Again, as opposed to forcing yourself to work when you aren’t at your peak is counterproductive. As such, it’s a better idea to schedule your “frogs” during your golden hours.

Additionally, even if you are a morning person, there’s a solid chance that you’ve had to adjust your schedule. For example, let’s say you currently have kids at home, and you need to help them with schoolwork. It’s not possible to “eat frogs” at the same time, meaning you’ll have to chomp them down when you can.

5. Use to-do-lists.

Research from Kevin Kruse has found that millionaires don’t rely on to-do-lists. I know. Shocking.

The first reason he found was that they don’t account for time. “When we have a long list of tasks, we tend to tackle those that can be completed quickly in a few minutes, leaving the longer items left undone,” he writes in Forbes. “Research from the company iDoneThis indicates that 41% of all to-do list items are never completed!”

Secondly, “a to-do list doesn’t distinguish between urgent and important. Once again, our impulse is to fight the urgent and ignore the important. (Are you overdue for your next colonoscopy or mammogram?)”

And, finally, “to-do lists contribute to stress,” Kruse states. “In what’s known in psychology as the Zeigarnik effect, unfinished tasks contribute to intrusive, uncontrolled thoughts. It’s no wonder we feel so overwhelmed in the day, but fight insomnia at night.”

Rather than using lists, they live and die by their calendar. How? They add their priorities to their calendar before anything else.

I should add, though, that there’s absolutely nothing wrong with jotting down reminders. The occasional braindump ensures that you won’t forget anything while clearing your head. However, committing to only lists may not be as effective as scheduling.

6. Work in Pomodoros.

In all seriousness, I’m a fan of the Pomodoro Technique. After all, it encourages me to take frequent breaks throughout the day to keep me fresh. Moreover, it has benefits like improving planning and dealing with distractions and interruptions.

The problem is that it’s essentially a time tyrant. How so? Because you’re supposed to work in 25-minutes and then take a break.

Some people don’t like that level of regimentation. More problematic, though, is that it interrupts your flow. That just means that if you’re fully immersed in a task, you have to stop and take a break when the timer goes off.

To solve this predicament, try a modified version called the Flowtime Technique. Created by Zoë Read-Biven, here’s how it works.

“First, pick a specific task,” she writes. Just make that “it has an end in sight.”
“Next, start your work. Don’t set any kind of timer but record the time under Start,” she adds. “Now, when you are working, you can only work on the thing that you have written down. Read-Biven dubs this “Unitasking.”
Here’s the hardest step. “When you feel like you need to take a break, take a break. If you want to stop the task, stop, and take a break.” The key is to note the time under Stop, as well as the length of time.

That’s pretty much it. The jest is that you’re tracking your time while also identifying common distractions. Also, it still encourages you to take breaks, but whenever you need them.

7. Outsource and delegate.

Full transparency here. When done properly, outsourcing and delegating tasks can be timesavers. But that’s only if you know how to clearly communicate your expectations and have people that you trust.

Furthermore, you still need to carve out time to monitor the task. And, most importantly, you also need to know what exactly to delegate and to whom.

If you’re missing any of the above, outsourcing and delegating properly won’t be effective. In fact, they may end up costing you more time — i.e., identifying the right person for the right job and having to correct their mistakes.

There’s another consideration here. Since a majority of us have had to tighten our belts, we may not have the budget to hire freelancers, contractors, or even maintain a full-time team. As such, a better option might be to automate tasks like scheduling, posting to social media, responding to email, billing, and customer service.

8. Stop multitasking.

Multitasking is a myth. Or, so you’ve been told.

In reality, what this refers to is a task-switching, where you’re bouncing your attention from one thing to another. In this care, it’s not possible and can even have consequences like hindering your productivity and lowering your IQ

But what about doing two things at once? Well, some of us can totally pull that off. And it might even be a good thing. Studies have found that multitasking can improve your performance by sharpening multisensory integration.

Additionally, multitasking can “deepen” your time. “There’s a nice form of multitasking, which I tend to think of more as ‘alignment,’” says Laura Vanderkam, author of What the Most Successful People Do Before Breakfast; “This means deepening time, not fragmenting it.”

An example of this would be when you workout with a friend. “You’re running, but you’re also talking and nurturing your relationship at the same time. That’s good multitasking,” she says.

The catch? Multitasking on tasks that don’t conflict with each other. “In other words, you can multitask as long as you’re doing two things that don’t tax the same parts of your brain,” explains Peter Bregman in a Forbes article. “Email while on a conference call? Bad idea. But exercise and commuting? It’s a perfect multitasking marriage.”

9. Silence is golden.

Obvious, right? How can you possibly focus when you’re surrounded by noise? Besides, science has shown that you’ll get more done when it’s quiet.

Of course, can you actually be in an environment where it’s completely silent? Most likely not. I mean, just as I’m writing this, my dog barked because she heard the mail truck, and my neighbor has been running his leaf blower wild. Even if I head noise-canceling headphones,s higher-pitched random noises, like voices, can still come through.

At the same time, there are advantages to listening to music and background noise.

“Overall, research shows that listening to music and background noise can offer various benefits, including improved cognitive performance, improved task performance, improved concentration, increased energy levels, and improved mood,” write the folks over at Effectivilogy. “These benefits mean that listening to music or background noise can be highly beneficial in a variety of circumstances, especially since it is often relatively easy to set them up.”

The caveat is that we all respond differently to music and background noise. You may work best listening to classical music, while others prefer video game tunes. I suggest trying out focus@will. It will curate a personalized playlist to improve your focus.

10. You need a home office.

For those who were fortunate enough to have a home office, the transition to working from home hasn’t been as trying. But, if you don’t have the space for a home office? No worries. You can still be productive.

In another Calendar post, Max Palmer shares how this is possible by:

Establishing a designated working spot — ideally somewhere “with the fewest distractions and temptations.”
Furnishing your space. For example, investing in a sitting-standing desk and placing it wherever you have space.
Removing distractions, such as leaving your phone in another room.
Using the right tools, like project management software.

If you’re really limited on space because you’re in a small apartment or sharing tablespace with your family, get creative. For instance, you could clean out a closet and make a cozy office in there.

11. Always dress for success.

I guarantee that when you’re new to working from home that this is the most common piece of advice that you come across. Science has also found that what you wear to work matters. But, to be honest, you really don’t need research to prove this.

Just think about the times that you do dress up. You probably feel like a million bucks. And, it can also help you mentally shift into work mode.

However, these are unprecedented times. We’re grieving the loss of the world we used to know — and love. And, we’re all struggling right now.

Despite what conventional wisdom has previously said, the new reality is that you can wear whatever you damn feel like.

I think in a rebuttal to an L.A. Times piece entitled Enough With the WFH Sweatpants. Dress Like the Adult You’re Getting Paid to Be, Esquire’s Ben Boskovich, put it best. “Whether dressing like you’re headed to the office makes you feel better or not is up to you. Not me, and not a deputy fashion director who wants you to wear jeans.”

As long as you’re still being a pro and getting things done, wear what you want. Of course, use some common sense as well. If you have a video call, throw on an appropriate outfit instead of your cozy, yet raggedy, bathrobe.

12. Avoid procrastination.

Procrastination has a bad reputation. And, for good reason.

Putting things off can cause you to fall behind or even stress you out. That can damage your credibility and overall well being. It can also cause you to miss out on opportunities and put a strain on your relationships.

But, believe it or not. Procrastination can actually be good for you. In fact, it may even be able to improve your productivity and happiness.

Why procrastination isn’t always the enemy.

How so? Well, here are six reasons, according to Susanna Newsonen, MAPP:

Active procrastination. Even though you might be dragging your feet on a specific task doesn’t mean you aren’t getting anything else done. If “you’re an active procrastinator, the rest of your to-do list is probably getting cleared quickly,” explains Newsonen. “And once the rest of the things on your to-do list are done, then all you’ve got left is that one thing you were originally procrastinating on—and you’ve got no choice but to get on with it.”
Unnecessary tasks disappear with procrastination. If you keep procrastinating on a certain task, after all, you may “reevaluate whether it’s still important you do it.”
It shines a light on what’s most important to you. “You’re less likely to procrastinate on things you love to do or that really matter to you,” adds Newsonen. “If there’s something you’re struggling to get done, ask yourself why you’re doing it in the first place.”
Procrastination makes you more creative. When tackling large and daunting projects, it’s common to procrastinate. However, even if you’re not actually working on it, you’re “subconsciously collecting ideas and processing things to prepare you for it.”
Procrastinating can help you to make better decisions. As opposed to diving in headfirst, procrastination “buys you time to think about all the options and their pros and cons. Once the deadline arrives, you’re ready to decide as you’ve done your research.”
Procrastination leads to better apologies. We all make mistakes. If this requires an apology, “it’s better to give them (and you) time to cool off,” suggests Newsonen. “This helps you to come up with an authentic apology that clearly shows your regret and your learnings, as well as offers a reason why the mistake happened.”

13. Turn that frown upside down.

I don’t think that any of us want to experience negative emotions like anxiety, stress, or hopelessness. Not only is that detrimental to your health, but it also influences your productivity. And, while there are small ways to lift your spirits, like going for a walk or talking to a friend, forcing yourself can be just as bad.

Back in 2017, research from UC Berkeley found that trying to force yourself doesn’t work. Mainly because resisting negative emotions leads to feeling more psychologically stressed. More interesting was that those who do accept these feelings reported fewer mood disorder symptoms.

“It turns out that how we approach our own negative emotional reactions is really important for our overall well-being,” said study lead author Brett Ford, an assistant professor of psychology at the University of Toronto. “People who accept these emotions without judging or trying to change them can cope with their stress more successfully.”

That couldn’t be any more relevant than right now. During the COVID-19 pandemic, psychologists have recommended that we don’t ignore difficult feelings. Instead, we need to acknowledge them and reach out for help.

14. Using productivity apps.

“It’s fun to get on the app and layout your tasks and set goals, but if you get too into planning, that’s a waste of time,” explains Stephanie Wells, founder of Formidable Forms, over at Inc. “A simple calendar or to-do list is best to quickly plan out your schedule and get things done.”

From my experience, many productivity apps also have a learning curve. That means you need to make a time investment in figuring out the work. Moreover, these tools are so robust that they can be overwhelming and you’ll probably spend more time organizing than doing.

15. Maintain a work-life balance.

For years, it was advised that we strive for work-life balance. Here’s the truth, though. Balance doesn’t exist.

I feel that most of us realized this as we began working remotely. It would be great if you could clock-in at 9 a.m. and work a full day. But, you have to walk the dog, keep up with household chores, and take care of the kids. And, even when you call it a day, you may still have to respond to emails or wrap-up the tasks you didn’t finish earlier.

A better approach is work-life integration.

According to UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business, work-life integration is “an approach that creates more synergies between all areas that define ‘life’: work, home/family, community, personal well-being, and health.” In other words, instead of setting hard boundaries and compartmentalizing, you connect work and life.

Examples could be bringing your dog to work, having a conference call when your kids are playing in the backyard, or inviting a friend to tag along when running errands. How is this possible in a post-COVID world? Well, stick to a schedule and routine, but also be flexible. But, above all, it’s admitting that you’re not perfect and that you should also put your priorities first.

How to Handle Appointments Safely During COVID-19

By Jon Bradshaw | Appointment, Business Tips | No Comments

Even as states and businesses open up once more, COVID-19 remains a major concern. To prevent another wave from decimating your company or driving customers away, you need to implement some basic safety precautions.

Maintaining social distancing guidelines not only ensures the success of an appointment during these uncertain times, but it also helps customers feel more comfortable booking a slot with your business.

You need paying customers to stay afloat, after all. Use this guide as a way to continue operations safely.

Keep Guidelines Posted

After so many months of the pandemic, you’d think that everyone would already know the drill. No matter how many times we’ve heard the guidelines, however, it never hurts to have a reminder.

For your business, it’s better to be safe than sorry. Posting coronavirus safety guidelines at your business serves two purposes: It offers needed safety information and indicates to employees and customers that the practices will be enforced.

When businesses make safety expectations clear at the entrance, customers have no excuse not to follow them. Post this information prominently, and maintaining social distancing becomes that much easier.

Require Face Coverings

The CDC considers face masks a vital tool in the fight against the coronavirus. What’s more, people who wear masks or face coverings are much more likely to follow social distancing guidelines than those who don’t. Mandated masks help prevent the spread of COVID-19 and remind everyone — pandemic fatigue notwithstanding — that precautions are still in place.

You will undoubtedly have customers who oppose a mask rule. Train your employees on the proper responses to prevent confrontations from escalating. Provide disposable masks at the door for customers who show up without a face covering, so they won’t have an excuse for not wearing one.

Rethink Your Waiting Room

Appointment-based businesses have designated spaces to accommodate walk-ins and allow customers to wait for their scheduled appointments. They strive to make these areas comfortable and welcoming to make the wait as painless as possible.

With social distancing measures in place, you’ll have to mix things up a bit. Start with your seating arrangements. Keep chairs six feet apart, per CDC recommendations; if seating is conjoined, you’ll need to tape off every other seat.

For the time being, you should also reconsider some of the amenities you offer in your waiting room. Magazines and coffee bars can be passing points for illness, so consider substituting a TV and individually packaged refreshments.

Space Out Appointments

It’s better to space out fewer customer appointments over the course of day than not to have any customers at all. Forgoing some business for improved safety is a sacrifice you’ll have to make to continue to endure during COVID-19.

With fewer appointments bunched together, you won’t have to worry about a crowd forming. That’s important because your socially distanced waiting area won’t be able to accommodate as many customers as it used to. When you keep everyone six feet apart, there’s less room to fill before safety precautions go out the window.

Even with spaced-out bookings, though, you should be able to keep yourself plenty busy. When customers feel safe and comfortable at your business, they won’t hesitate to book repeat appointments or recommend you to their safety-conscious friends.

Order Some Plexiglass

Plexiglass barriers are one of the most common solutions you’ll see businesses implementing during the pandemic. These barriers act as cough and sneeze guards, protecting employees and customers from accidentally infecting each other through airborne droplets.

Often used to separate cubicles or retail counters, plexiglass has seen a huge spike in usage over the last few months. Hair salons, for example, can use plexiglass sheets to separate customers seated next to each other at stylist stations. While customers still have to be masked up with their stylist, this added safety precaution can reduce virus spread in a droplet-heavy environment.

Apply Social Distancing Stickers

Floor stickers are another frequently seen adjustment that businesses are making. Each sticker is placed six feet apart to show customers where they should stand when waiting in lines. Stickers are inexpensive and easy to remove once COVID-19 has finally been laid to rest.

When dealing with customers who have appointments, you’ll need to check them all in as they arrive. Arrival times often overlap, especially when you also accept walk-ins. Having these stickers in place will help customers keep their distance in line to protect each other.

Ease Your No-Show Policy

Companies that rely on appointment bookings often have a no-show or late policy that customers must adhere to. This prevents customers who reserve appointment slots from disappearing, which wastes company time and prevents other customers from taking that slot.

This makes perfect sense in normal times, but during COVID-19, a layer of lenience might be called for. If a customer has any indication that they might be sick, encourage them to stay home without no-show consequences. Offer to reschedule appointments with no charge even if your policy states otherwise.

Sick customers will appreciate your flexibility and reward you with their business when they’re well again. Healthy customers will appreciate your commitment to helping them stay that way by keeping sufferers out of your waiting room.

Automate as Much as Possible

The less touching involved in an appointment, the better. You can reduce physical interaction by automating as much as possible. Processes that normally would be done by hand can be eliminated to reduce virus spread through contact and help maintain social distancing.

One of the best examples is payment methods. Allowing customers to pay online takes away the need to pay in person at your business. Card and cash transactions can spread germs just like any other contact, even if all other social distancing measures are in place.

While everyone’s health and safety is of extreme importance, your business is important, too. Social distancing offers the best of both worlds. By taking these steps, you will help keep your customers safe and your business running.

6 Remote Volunteering Opportunities That Are Perfect for the Pandemic

By Jason Barnes | Business Tips | No Comments

Volunteering doesn’t just do good for the world; it’s also good for a team.

Giving back reminds everyone to be grateful for the opportunities they’ve been given. It also gives them something to talk about other than work. Volunteering is a great way to bring a team together around a shared purpose.

Over the last few months, teams have had to find new ways to bond. No longer can they eat lunch together, work side-by-side, or meet up for an after-work happy hour.

Unfortunately, the same goes for volunteering opportunities: You can’t simply waltz into a children’s hospital to read to kids during the pandemic. But if your team wants to help, there are still plenty of ways to do it.

Giving Back From Afar

If you’re willing to get creative, you’ll see that there are almost as many opportunities to volunteer remotely as their are in-person:

1. BeMyEyes: Lend your sight to people with visual impairments.

As long as your team members have their eyesight, they can volunteer for BeMyEyes. People with vision impairments use BeMyEyes to check expiration dates, read instructions, look for lost items, and more.

Start by downloading the BeMyEyes app. Once you’re matched with a user who needs to see something, you’ll receive a video call. All you have to do is describe what you see on the screen in order to help them out. From the comfort of your own home, you can join over 3.8 million volunteers in giving a gift it’s entirely too easy to take for granted.

2. Amnesty Decoders: Dig into international human rights violations.

With easy access and tons of opportunities, Amnesty Decoders makes it easy to become a digital activist and do meaningful human rights work. To get to work, all you need is internet access and a smartphone, tablet, or computer.

Amnesty Decoder volunteers help researchers sift through large data banks of social media messages, images, video, and other documents for evidence of human rights abuses. Decoders help researchers avoid information overload so they can focus on the root issue.

Since its release in June 2016, Amnesty Decoders has tackled seven projects for the betterment of humanity, including digitizing a large data bank of oil spill investigation reports, identifying misogynistic social media content targeted at female Indian politicians, and more.

3. Crisis Text Line: Support people experiencing mental health crises.

If you’ve never experienced a mental health crisis before COVID-19, odds are that you have a better sense of how difficult they can be. Turn that into positive energy by volunteering on behalf of Crisis Text Line.

Remember, a crisis doesn’t necessarily mean someone is thinking about ending their life. In many cases, it means that someone simply needs an attentive ear to listen to their challenges. Just be prepared to talk about tough topics, including abuse, anxiety, suicide, loneliness, bullying, and self-harm.

With just a four-hour-per-week commitment and free training — valued at over $1,000 per volunteer — you can change someone’s life. You’ll become a more compassionate, empathetic, and understanding person, not to mention learn strategies for addressing your own mental health needs.

4. Project Gutenberg: Transcribe print literature into digital documents.

Project Gutenberg is a free digital library with more than 60,000 e-books and cultural works. To improve access to information around the world, Project Gutenberg has a range of volunteer opportunities available:

Proofread an e-book.

Joining as a member of the Distributed Proofreaders team means that you can proofread as few or as many pages as you want. That way, readers don’t have to deal with transcription errors.

Procure eligible paper books.

Producing new e-books for the site means getting a hold of paper books with expired copyrights. Because most content published before 1923 is no longer under copyright, the site mostly contains older works of literature.

Burn CDs and DVDs for people without internet access.

Even within the U.S., not everyone has access to the internet. Share information and materials with those who otherwise might not have it.

5. Ancestry World Archives Project: Build a publicly accessible genealogy database.

Genealogy sites like Ancestry are not only fun and sentimental, helping people find long lost relatives and learn about their family’s history, but they also benefit society. Family history data can be used by detectives to solve crimes, while medical experts can leverage it to understand a person’s predispositions to certain diseases.

Ancestry’s World Archives Project houses free searchable records gathered from historical documents. Volunteers review scanned documents and make the material searchable by typing out its contents. They not only get a firsthand look at historical documents, but they may also be eligible for discounts on Ancestry’s premium services.

6. CareerVillage: Answer students’ career questions and share work experiences.

Landing a job is all about who you know. Unfortunately, a lot of talented students don’t have industry connections. Worse, some of them don’t even know what working in the field is like.

CareerVillage volunteers give promising students that leg up. Ranging in intensity from full-on mentorship to casual question-answering, volunteering opportunities come with no specific commitment or training requirements. CareerVillage’s network of volunteers advise more than 4 million learners, including those from underrepresented backgrounds.

Just because teams have to work together differently during the pandemic does not mean that they can’t still come together to do good. Try it: There’s never been a better time to get involved.