The Covid-19 virus is still here. It is real and it has been affecting us all for months now. Never in my life have I experienced a time when rapid changes, in many areas of life, have been made in such a short period of time.

The virus has been affecting our daily way of life and this has forced us to rethink our routines. These have been scary times for all of us and some have been hit harder than others. It has forced us to brainstorm to find new ways of doing things, which is not necessarily a bad thing.  The virus has forced us to think outside the box.

In Lyömätön Linja, we have also had to think outside the box of how to carry out the work differently. We have had to figure out how best we could meet the client´s needs in this new situation. We have come to realize that our services have become even more significant and important during these difficult times. We have had clients who have expressed that our services are actually one of the only contacts or places to go during the lockdown. That´s quite a thought. We have been available every weekday to our clients.

Globally, the whole world has been thinking outside the box in the recent months. Not only with Covid-19, but with racism as well. Many people and institutions are currently focusing on what needs to be done in order to make this world a safer and more equal place for everyone. New and fresh ideas are badly needed. A lot of us are and have been in a uncomfortable zone for a long time and yet, we have uncertain times ahead of us. An Important question here is “How do we do things differently in these circumstances?”

Certainly, the old routines and ways of thinking must go out of the window. So, thinking outside the box is more important than ever. For some, it means that they have realized that they must break the silence and join the fight against racism. Support is needed for change to happen.

Here are some tools for your toolbox for thinking outside the box.

It is good to simplify things when solving problems, why not try to lay it out as if you were explaining it to a child. Slowly and with simple wordings. You can try to think a loud, spell it out, sing a song if it helps you. My wife writes rap-lyrics when she needs to think outside the box. I must say she has gotten some amazing results. Draw a picture or do a mind-map to clarify the situation. Challenge yourself by asking critical questions like what would I do differently in order to make the boat go faster.

Thinking outside the box can actually reveal that we may sometimes have harmful thinking patterns of our own. Or we are just following the leader, who is actually misguiding us. It is easy to agree with someone who is sounding very convincing, especially if you have a need to please them.

Thinking outside the box has nothing to do with who is right, who is wrong, who is guilty, who has the most experience, who is most senior or a leader or who has the biggest salary. The best ideas can come from anyone and at anytime. Give others a chance, even if you do not like them.

When thinking of Covid-19, it has been amazing that a lot of people have been able to adjust in these kind of challenging times. I hope we can beat this virus soon, but I believe we have to do it together. Everyone is responsible to do their part. The consequences of this pandemic are costly, but we at Lyömätön Linja are ready to do our share to help those in need.

What comes to racism, it seems like we still have a lot of work ahead us. I might need to write another blog about that. Let´s see.

Stay safe, call us if you need to talk, reach out if you feel the need to. We are here for you.

"We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools"

Martin Luther King, Jr.

" If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor."

Desmond Tutu

"The time is always right to do what is right"

Martin Luther King, Jr

 Dwayne Woodroffe

Expert in Domestic Violence Preventive Work