We see the words ‘Pandemic’, ‘COVID-19’, ‘Lockdown’ and try to forget about a time of such chaos, discomfort and tragedy. We all want to put it inside that box in our minds that we hope we never have to confront again. In some ways it seems like a distant memory, yet not one of us were able to escape. That’s the thing in life, no matter how positive, successful, wealthy or even healthy you are, some things will just affect us all. They affect humanity. Arguably, we were all privy to some who deemed themselves invincible, untouchable, superior to the rules throughout those years, but let’s not dwell on that- with arrogance and selfishness comes karma. That stuff is the real deal.
There’s no denying we all learnt something from the pandemic. And there’s no denying we spend time thinking… What if? Where would I be if it didn’t happen? But that’s the beauty in hindsight. We will never know those things. We are only ever informed by the wisdom and perspective we gain from times like that. Don’t beat yourself up about it, just shift that mindset to find the valuable life lessons learnt along the way. Some, I’m sure we didn’t even realise were lessons until we come this far out of it, meaning there are likely to be many more to come over the years.
Expect the Unexpected
Well, talk about stating the obvious? The news of COVID-19 felt like all other news stories- the need to decipher between facts, over-exaggeration and too many opinions flooding the media to try and work out what is really going on. It didn’t take too long before, deep down, we had the inkling 2020 was going to different. Eventually, the realisation hit that this too was the reality of 2021, never to have thought possible that 2022 held the same fate. Here we are in 2023 and I’m sure we could all agree that in many ways we have morphed back into the routines of our previous pandemic-free lives as it it was all some inexorable dream… nightmare… dimension?
None of us knew what one day would be compared to the next. It’s a strange concept really as it soon became apparent that every day became very much the same yet we had no idea. Occasionally, we received news that shook the nation amidst a flurry of contradictions and poor examples. One step forward, two back, two steps forward, one back… at the end of it all, we were still moving forward.
Besides the obvious -the pandemic itself- let’s just say I never thought I’d see the day where I would feel so much guilt walking down the aisle at the supermarket with toilet roll and bag of pasta. It was like a a scene from the Hunger Games, quite literally. Who knew that savouring toilet paper was going to be the forefront of our difficulties… or our present entertainment? The relentless sea of empty shelves brought such panic, sadness and despair. So it should have.
An Attitude of Gratitude
The pandemic gave us no choice but to stop. To just pause our busy, robotic lifestyles and find peace in simplicity. The endless traffic-filled roads and bustling high streets were a thing of the past, instead they became apocalyptic scenes with the occasional tumbleweed. It was very much an awakening to ‘you don’t know what you had until it’s gone’. Take freedom. Again, let’s not forget that the population of those with that before and even now is undeniably profound. Heartbreaking. So understandably my experience is that of very fortunate position, a dream for many.
Freedom. Freedom to go about your day, either as you please or as your lifestyle permits was just a given. From the perspective of travel, well I never thought the day would come where the only mode of transport in continuing existence would be that of our own feet or bicycles (if you were lucky enough to get one before that became an endemic in itself), but of course, only during your once-daily permitted slot to exercise outside.
The great outdoors. My oh my. Being told that you could only leave the house once a day was a tough pill to swallow, especially during one of our hottest summers… cooped up in a flat, with no outdoor space. That, mixed with the ‘go out, don’t go out’ dance we all tangoed. But didn’t that result in pure joy and excitement to be out, breathing in the fresh, now unpolluted, air? We found beauty in the stillness. Love for the way nature still did its thing, even without us, thriving in fact. We finally took time to venture the labyrinth of our local spaces, places we may have experienced, given the choice.
Not only did the pandemic give us the opportunity to reflect on everything to have been grateful for beforehand, it magnified the truly important things in life. I’ll forever be grateful for everything I had- I was safe, I had my health, I had a home, I had people who loved and cared about me, what else do we really need? It’s about savouring the little things because they are actually, and always will be, the big things.
Health is Everything
There is no doubt COVID-19 accentuated the huge disparities presented across the globe. We witnessed disproportion impact and inequities relative to ethnic groups, communities, occupations… the list could go on. For the first time in forever, self-care routines became the thing. Maybe just a way to pass time, but we all did at least one thing to take care of our health. We were in a pandemic- a global health crisis.
Physically, we bit the bullet and knew we had no more excuses. Sales of home exercise equipment skyrocketed and social media become a place of inspiration and motivation. For me, doing ‘laps’ of the flat became a thing. Fluffy-sock shuffling all 52 m2 of it with frequent ‘reward’ trips to the fridge. Between that and trying to fuel my inner traveller by mixing up where I did my yoga and workout routines- do cupboards count as different locations… asking for a friend?
Let’s be honest, pre-lockdown, if I had a hankering for some Doritos I wouldn’t think twice about going to the shop, buying them and demolishing them within seconds… without a sink or sanitiser in sight. I suppose some may say it was a way of life, more an immunity-building exercise… others may have just called me a cretin. Don’t kid yourself, we’ve all been there. Now, I’m sure, like us all, we have gained that habitual thought process, leading us to feel horrified and vulnerable if we now don’t have that trusty pot of jellied 99%+ alcohol in our pockets. The same goes for that hearing that dreaded cough. Gone are the days where people sympathised your ailments. Now we’re met with a tsunami of turning heads, stares and a sudden gain of distance… and that’s just for a sneeze!
The surge in mental health crisis, can’t be ignored. The pandemic gave us no choice but to face the reality of mental health, highlighting just how important it is and how it affects each and every one of us, often in ways we never expect. It is very easily to look beyond your own needs when you see those you love suffer. That is the danger of it. How can you care and respond to the needs of others, if you don’t know how to do that for yourself? As a teacher, this really hits home when you spend every day with children, realising there’s no denying that mental health is forming the next pandemic. They need to be our priority now.
The Power of Togetherness
Let’s not forget that within the chaos, the pandemic brought us together in more ways than we ever thought possible. People can be incredible and have the power to spread so much kindness, love and positivity to truly make a difference. Remember- making a difference doesn’t always mean scale, it can be just as powerful to one, single person and the inspiration that then follows holds just as much power. We saw fundraising like we’ve never seen before. We clapped, we danced… we did it- together.
Bubbles. Gone are the days where our first thought of ‘bubbles’ goes back to tube of foaming liquid with a rounded, plastic wand of joy. Nope. Nada. That is how we defined our loved ones, our ‘chosen’ ones. On the contrary, sometimes this ‘bubble’ would include those we didn’t choose, for the sake of our jobs, needs or simply pragmatism. But my point here is, we all had to abide by this concept for the sake of humanity. So even though our connections were limited, often painful, we knew it was what we had to do to experience the togetherness we once knew. Inevitably, this brought with it much pain and loneliness at times. Sometimes even anger when we witness those who deem themselves invincible and above the law. That was nothing more than selfishness and that certainly fuelled anger in me.
Here is when we truly appreciate the efforts and advancements of our technological age. Though physical touch was on hold, we had more opportunity than ever to connect with those near and far with no limitations to time, distance or even purpose. Let’s take the newfound family ritual of ‘games night’ hosted to bring each other together in weird and wonderful ways. Fancy a quiz? Maybe even a themed dress up night? Or simply a check-in? All of which, our attire on the top half of our bodies was most definitely a complete clashing (and often questionable) pairing to the bottom half. There was no judgement. We did it to feel something we couldn’t have at that moment and with it made the days a little less hard. Hope for coming out the other end okay. I’ll always be grateful for who I had in my life during this time. They all played a huge part in that chapter of my life- the strength, love, care and kindness we can only ever wish for.
Time is of the Essence
We are all victims to time, that doesn’t mean we have to be victimised. The pandemic proved that. Time will keep passing. Looking back, the whole thing just becomes a blur really. But we, ourselves, did have to stop. To think. Really, it was merely a state of survival as we had no choice in the matter. It turns out, for years, the focus of time became the measurement of defining symptoms, isolation, quarantine and testing. More often than not, time was the passing of not knowing how long. One thing is for sure, there was no escaping the bond between time and age- we all became hyper-vigilant in the categories we all belong to, the vulnerabilities they pose and the waiting list that then entailed.
With time, comes trends. Ah yes, the one we all wish to erase from our souls: the lockdown hair cuts. I can’t help but laugh just writing this. What were we thinking? I suppose we weren’t. We didn’t have to because no one would see you for… who knows how long for, by which point it would have transformed into another rhythm of its own, ‘unique’ design. Doesn’t that in itself prove a new list of lessons and qualities we ignited- creativity, confidence, resourcefulness? It also questions our ongoing desire to fulfil a ‘norm’ of acceptance in our appearance, but does it really define who we are?
Though we were also given time in ways we maybe couldn’t understand, until now. We had time to be present. We lived in the moment. Some of us had more time with our nearest and dearest, time we wouldn’t have had otherwise. Others didn’t. Some of us had time alone. Others experienced a whole new meaning to ‘alone’. Time became a journey of hope, but also a journey of pain. Time allowed healing, but today proves that healing is not an end, but a journey. Tomorrow is never promised, so never take today for granted.
Resilience & Adaptability are Key
We were made to change, evolve in fact. That’s only possible in the discomfort of having no choice but to be resilient too. To keep going, no matter what. Knowing one day, a greater version of you will thank you for your strength. After all, how can we gain strength without facing challenge and adversity? With resilience comes mindset. Without a growth mindset and a reflective perspective, we merely just exist from one day to the next, often living in a repetitive, meaningless way.
We carry on each day, arguably falling into our routines of comfort and familiarity. We soon forget how quickly we needed to adapt to be able to live in a new way. Take remote working- most people had to very quickly migrate their working lives into their own homes, whether that be a spare room or even a self-contained corner a shed, it was done. Others, couldn’t fulfil their responsibilities in such way but had to adapt to new, stricter environments or regulations and some just having to carry on as normal, albeit with a layer of protective gear.
During the pandemic, we found ways to continue elements of our desired and necessary realities to ensure we could keep moving forward. From policies, laws, priorities, attitudes- they all changed, often within just hours of each other. Our new ‘norm’ will always hold its good and bad, but it becomes what we make it. On reflection, all of this only matters if individual behaviours change. That’s on us. Consequently, we’ve come to realise that there is still a significant need for change and responsiveness to keep moving forward- take the education system…
Closing thoughts...
I often wonder where I’d be, a life without the pandemic, it’s safe to say we have all had that thought. We fill our minds with possibilities and inadvertently with the wisdom we have since gained. That’s the power of hindsight. Nobody will ever know what it could or would have been. We can only control how see it, live with it and move on from it. There are so many more lessons I have learnt from the pandemic than aforementioned and much pain I wish I could erase for myself and others, but this is where we can’t carry the things that are not in our control. I am a firm believer in ‘everything happens for a reason’. Sometimes the reason may not be clear at the very moment, especially when we are fully-immersed in our emotions and experiences. But it will come. Of that, I’m certain. Just look how far you’ve come already, this may just be the beginning.
