Checking in with you and your loved ones

First and foremost, I hope that everyone reading this right now is safe at home, and that your families are healthy. Stopping this virus is our number one priority. With that being said, both Ivy and myself have taken the precaution of working from home over the next few weeks. Thankfully, all of our software is web based so we can log into them from our secure laptops, as well as remotely retrieve our voicemails. Please know that our office is not closed, and we are still able to assist you with anything you may need.

While I have only been social distancing at home a short few days, amidst all of the craze, I have tried to focus a part of my day on positive energy. I wanted to share some great points from a recent article posted on Forbes.com:

9 Ways To Stay Positive During The Coronavirus Pandemic

Click here to read the Full Article on the Forbes.com website

1. Limit your intake. You could watch 24-hour news channels, listen to dire warnings on the radio, or visit countless websites and be bombarded with the angst of the moment. Instead, choose a single news source and decide how much limited time you’ll spend with it each day. Then stick to your plan.
2. Look to the past. Get hope from your past resilience. You have likely endured other unforeseen major life disrupters like 9/11, major hurricanes, or the financial meltdown of 2008. You made it through! And you are stronger because of it. Know that you will get through this. Remind yourself of your resilience on a regular basis.
3. Watch a funny video. Thanks to the huge popularity of YouTube, there are thousands of videos that can help you take your mind off current events, if only for three minutes at a time. Start to bookmark the funniest among them so you can return for a repeat viewing whenever things feel gloomy.
4. Look after your neighbors. You may be at low risk of severe consequences from the virus, but it may not be the same for your neighbors whose immune systems are compromised. The act of checking in on them (keeping six feet apart, of course) will not only make them feel good, it will make you feel good and remind you that there are others for whom this predicament is even more stressful.
5. Support your favorite local business. Maybe you’re heeding the social distancing advice and aren’t eager to sit in a crowded restaurant right now. And others feel the same way. Those empty seats aren’t helping that restaurant owner to pay her staff or keep the restaurant in business. Buy a gift card to help the business owner now, and prepay for a wonderful meal you can have to celebrate when this pandemic is behind us.
6. Send gifts in the mail. It may not be wise to drop in on your loved ones with some fresh-baked goodies, so send them a card or gift in the mail. Unexpected treats can be a huge pick-me-up-in times of stress. This is especially valuable to the elderly who are living in nursing homes. Many facilities have closed their doors to all visitors, making residents feel even more isolated and vulnerable.
7. Take advantage of found time. I’m a public speaker and my speaking gigs are canceling left and right. It’s stressful. I could wallow in that for days. But that wouldn’t be productive. These cancelations give me an opportunity to focus on some things I’ve had no time for and to accelerate my progress on other product offerings. It’s liberating, and that’s what I’ve decided to focus on. If your company has implemented a WFH policy, how will you use the time you previously spent on commuting?
8. Practice random acts of kindness. Leave an envelope with a little gift for the Amazon Fresh delivery person who drops of your supplies outside your door. Or have a coffee delivered to your doorman. Your kindness doesn’t require a monetary outlay. Write an unsolicited book review for a friend of yours who is an author. Comment on a colleague’s LinkedIn post. Send a snail-mail note of appreciation to a friend or colleague. Many in the entire country of Italy broke out in song and applause to honor their healthcare workers. Thank the custodians in your building or workplace for their efforts to keep things safe. Think of those who could benefit from your thoughtfulness and generosity. Then act.
9. Take a daily inventory. Close your day, every day, with a positive acknowledgement of something you accomplished, learned or are grateful for. It will help dilute some of the negativity you’ve absorbed and remind you that not everything that’s happening right now is bad or depressing.

The Coronavirus COVID-19 has caused widespread fear and panic globally and it has had a huge impact on the global economy. Using an analogy, we can allude to the impact the coronavirus has had on global economies and suggest your investment portfolio has actually contracted the COVID-19 Coronavirus.  It will require 14 days of self-isolation and quarantine. It is imperative that your investment portfolio be placed under the care of a financial professional that that will use experience and expertise while monitoring your portfolio daily where it will receive the top financial care, and it will be reassessed in 14 days. During that time it is important to remain calm, and limit the amount of visits and interactions with your investment portfolio so as not to inflict further damage. As your financial professional, I assure you that I am watching your portfolio, and that you are doing the right thing by staying invested, and potentially adding to your investments. Shortly after the virus has passed, we will take a deep breath and say, “that was one for the history books!” as we tell tales with our friends and loved ones again – in person.

As always I am here for you if you have any questions or concerns. Please stay safe, and I am looking forward to seeing you all again soon.

Kind regards,

Kyle A. Stevenson, CIM, Financial Advisor