According to the U.S. Department of Labor, 281,000 Americans filed for unemployment last week and Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis President James Bullard predicts the U.S. unemployment rate may hit 30% in the second quarter because of shutdowns to combat the coronavirus.

This is a stressful time in America, and around the Globe. The good news is, you are not dealing with this health crisis alone.

Fear is a natural reaction to things we can’t predict. Here are some ways you can cope during this time if you feel your livelihood is at risk.

Plan for the Worst

Now is the time to contact your utility company, your mortgage company/landlord, and any other loan or credit card companies to find out if you can defer payment and what their forbearance process is. Don’t put yourself in a situation of being anxious or overwhelmed about things that may not be as extreme as you imagine they will be. The best thing you can do is to get enough information to know how you’ll need to prioritize financially. Preparation and knowledge will help you mentally prepare for the worst-case scenario, and make sure you’re not processing everything at the same time.

Recognize the Opportunity

Use this time as an opportunity to think about your career path. Believe me, I know how frustrating it can be to desire more for your career while feeling trapped in the corporate rat race just trying to survive. But surviving shouldn’t mean you have to stay at a dead-end job. What may initially feel like a worst-case scenario could turn into the opportunity you needed to grant you “permission” to go after a career doing work you truly love to do. Now might be the perfect time to revisit that ambitious dream you never had time to pursue. Even if you plan on going back to work for the same employer once the quarantine is lifted, try to have a plan in place to develop your career and avoid becoming complacent once things get back to normal.

Try to Understand

It is natural to feel betrayed or disregarded by your employer during a layoff, but it’s important to consider what it took for them to make such a decision. Your employer doesn’t want to lay you off. Laying you off means their business isn’t generating income, and that is not good for them either. The business decision to stop paying you is a tragedy for both you, and the company, but the good news is that the decision has zero to do with your value. As soon as they can continue business as usual, it is highly likely they will invite you back to work, especially because they don’t want to spend more time training new employees, furthering the economic blow to their business.

Get Rest

You should definitely take advantage of the time you have to get some much-needed rest. If you were laid off, it likely means you are not in an industry that is considered an essential need. It also means there will be no hiring in that industry until the quarantine is lifted. Take some time to refill the vessel and invest in your mental and physical health. If you are not well, you can’t care for those you love.

Focus on Quality Time

37 minutes – in America that is the average amount of quality time, we spend with our families during the week. Quality time doesn’t have to be scheduled, but it should be a conscious effort when the right opportunity is present. That opportunity is present right now.

I remember six or seven years ago my husband and I took our boys on a road trip and we ended up staying at this crappy hotel to get some rest. It was a tiny dark room with two twin beds and a television made in the 1990’s. I absolutely hated that hotel. All I could think about was how horrible it was and how I didn’t want my kids to touch anything. Until this very day, if you ask my boys what their favorite vacation memory is, they will tell you it was at that crappy hotel. They don’t remember anything that I saw as a big deal. They only remember jumping on the beds, laughing, and having mommy and daddy in the same room with them.

I know it is natural to focus on what you don’t have, but don’t miss out on taking time to appreciate what you do have. The quality of the time we spend with those we love is far more meaningful than the surrounding circumstances that often distract us from being present.

Things are changing daily and will continue to change as we try to manage this crisis best we can. The “No” you received today for an extension or loan could be a “Yes” tomorrow. You can only do what you can with what you have. You are not alone in this, and that is the blessing.

I am here with you and my family and I are praying for your health and safety during this difficult time. We will get through this together…apart.