Lessons from Nelson Mandela: turning isolation into opportunity

Wherever you are in the world, there’s a good chance that you’re under some kind of state-mandated lockdown. Doesn’t that give you a sense of international unity?

Perhaps not. After all, with the lockdown comes a host of negative consequences. Many can’t work. We can’t (physically) socialise, or visit family. There’s the fear of the virus; fear of uncertainty. Most evidently, there’s an expanse of time spreading out ahead of us, stuck for the most part indoors.

It’s fair to say that most are trying to make the best of it, to survive in any way they can. There’s no right way to endure the isolation, no matter how many sourdough loaves and home workouts your peers are smugly churning out. Some of us simply aren’t geared to pivot our lifestyle so drastically while staying productive. However, it might be helpful to look to history for inspiration in your strategy for dealing with isolation.