As many of us are learning to navigate the changing world we are living in amid the COVID-19 outbreak, and as we care for our loved ones, friends, and our community, many of us now find ourselves working and studying from home much more than we did before. As an employee at SAS and an instructor at NC State University, I have found myself splitting my time between setting up my temporary home office and an at-home routine while also trying to help my students feel safe and comfortable as we move to a virtual classroom. But, as my commute and previous social time becomes Facetime calls and text messages, I’ve found myself with more downtime then I previously had, the time I want to dedicate to the training I’ve been wanting to do for the past year.

At SAS, we are striving to care for our users during this time—in that spirit, I wanted to share with you some free SAS offerings, as well as coping techniques I am doing from home.

Take care of yourself and your family

First and foremost, make sure you and your family are taking time for self-care. Whether it be meditation, using a mobile app or YouTube video, or getting some exercise together. I am finding my daily walk something I need to help relax my mind and get myself back to focus on my tasks.

Retrain on skills you haven’t touched in awhile

Sometimes we all need that reboot on tools or methods we use every day. I love SAS’ Statistics 1 course and SAS Programming 1, both of which are free. It’s a great refresher to those who haven’t taken a math course in a few years, or for those just wanting to start out with data science using SAS. Understanding the fundamentals and getting some refreshers on SAS language tricks is something I try to push through with my work constantly. I am also preparing to take the SAS Certification Exam at the end of the year, so the practice exam is something I also plan to use often during my study sessions.

Learn a new skill

It is also a great time to learn something you have always wanted to do. I started by taking some free online photography classes. I also have on my list enrolling in the SAS Academy for Data Science, which is free until the end of May 2020. The advanced analytics professional courses are something I have wanted to complete for a long time, so I am excited to get started on learning more about data modeling. The SAS e-books collection is now also free until April 30, 2020, so I’ve downloaded some great additional materials using code FREEBOOKS at checkout. 

Be kind to others

Being stuck inside can sometimes make you feel like you are spending more time with family than you are used to, or maybe you are spending more time alone. Using this time to connect with those I haven’t made time to talk to has been something I am really thankful for. I call my sister who is a nurse in Florida and check on her. As this outbreak affects us all differently, this is a great time to come together to connect. It is also a great time to think of others affected by the outbreak and who don’t have the ability to continue working. There are some great ways you can help others by getting involved in volunteer work or donating to a helpful cause.

Do fun activities

Though we are stuck at home, this time has been great for enjoying things I often don’t get to during my normal busy schedule. Besides taking free training, I’ve been playing some new video games (#ACNH) and some games I’ve neglected for far too long. I’ve also used this time to find what brings me joy from my home. Making time for reading is bringing great joy to my life right now.

As we all move through this turbulent time, make sure to take care of yourself and others. I hope some of these free tools and training will come in handy as you work towards your personal goals while remaining safe and healthy.