This is the kind of content we need to be creating right now

In the past few weeks, we’ve been inundated with more news, diagrams, and public announcements than we probably have at any other time in our lives.

And while staying educated and on top of exactly what’s happening out there — and how to keep ourselves and others safe — is imperative right now, so is keeping our minds pre-occupied and positive amongst the chaos.

And what that means is that not absolutely every piece of content we read should be about COVID-19 right now. For our mental health, even if it’s for a few moments a day, we should try to take our minds off the anxiety-provoking reality of today’s world.

Taking strategic distance from the world of coronavirus-oriented content can look like a lot of things: intentional breaks from social media, limiting your time spent consuming news, and spending more time (virtually) socializing. But one of the ways we can also contribute to this as creatives is by spending more time creating content that isn’t related to it.

What is “normal”?

While the phrase “the new normal” has become a new catchphrase, having our news feature things that pertain to “the old normal” is just as important right now to ease anxiety.

Even though things aren’t easy right now, that doesn’t mean that things won’t return to a regular (albeit evolved) state in times to come  — or that we shouldn’t reminisce in what that used to be like. Sure, things will never be exactly the same, but that’s evolution for you.

What we all still need to remember is not only are we going to come through this, but keeping some normalcy in times like this is important. Content that’s about “regular” things like future trips abroad, awesome books to read, and the newest album release is something refreshing for all of us to see right now.

Keep it light

Man using cell phone/Shutterstock

One of the best ways to give our brains a break from coronavirus-related content is to make content lighthearted. Did you just find out about a super cool animal that you didn’t know existed? Is there a new game you’re obsessed with? Is there a comedian’s new special on Netflix that you’re really into?

If you’re loving it, someone else around the world probably wants to hear about it too!

Use humour

Humour is more important now than ever; after all, we all know laughter is the best medicine. Dark times have notoriously brought out the funny side in life — when times are rough, we need laughter more than any other time in life. And if you’ve been scrolling through some memes lately, you’ll know that there’s been some seriously funny stuff circulating in light of recent events.

Putting out funny content, albeit tastefully, is what the world needs right now. And this can mean everything from sharing a hilarious story about a couple shaving off their eyebrows to encourage quarantining to a current collection of the best memes out there.

So there you have it. Although our new normal means scrolling through a lot of content involving important messaging to keep us and our loved ones safe, it’s also crucial that we give readers some lighthearted relief from time to time.

Whether it’s through using humour, reminding ourselves of the past and the bright future to come, or retaining some sense of normalcy in uncertain times, creating content that isn’t geared towards the current crisis is just as important right now as the content that is.