What The Covid Pandemic Taught Me About Life
The covid-19 pandemic was a scary and challenging time.
I felt lonely and isolated, people I know lost jobs and loved ones, and some experienced life-changing health issues.
Adapting to national lockdowns, coupled with the fear of dealing with an unknown virus, brought about even more challenges.
It’s a lot.
Thankfully, following the successful rollout of the covid vaccine on 2021, it seems that the darkest days are behind us.
What did I learn about life from the pandemic?
The fragility of life (hence its bigger appreciation)
The pandemic has made me acutely aware of the fragility of life and the importance of cherishing the moments and people that matter most.
Facing a potentially deadly virus and having to abide by rules that separated me from my family made me realise the importance of loved ones.
The pandemic taught me to cherish every moment with the people I love the most (and not to take them for granted).
The appreciation for certain professions
The covid 19 pandemic also showed me that when things get really tough, the scientific community can work well together across borders to deliver incredible things. Laboratory services, such as Source BioScience, health boards, pharmaceutical companies, and governments, all pulled together in helping to deliver large-scale testing and other vital services. Major scientific breakthroughs were also made as a result of these collaborations.
The pandemic also showed how much our frontline workers (nurses, doctors, even shopkeepers) do and made me realise how much I’ve taken that for granted.
The value of human connection and comradery
With social distancing measures in place, I realised how much we need human connection and a sense of belonging to feel sane.
The two World Wars showed us that people often pull together in times of crisis, and the pandemic was no different.
Everyone being in the same boat meant that neighbourhoods often worked together and communicated more with each other.
Whether it was neighbourhoods setting up WhatsApp groups for discussions, people helping their elderly neighbours with shopping, or entire streets working on projects or creative endeavours, there is no doubt that the lockdowns brought about a community spirit.
The Italian neighbourhoods singing together on their balconies is just one example of the incredible community spirit that manifested during this time.
We are surprisingly adaptability
People are more adaptable than they think. We have to because it’s a survival mechanism that has been honed over the course of human evolution. Our ability to adapt to new situations and environments has allowed us to survive and thrive in various conditions throughout history.
The human brain has the ability to reorganize and form new neural connections in response to changes in the environment. This enables us to learn new skills, develop new habits, and adjust our behavior to suit new situations.
The importance of slowing down
I finally realised the benefits of slowing down my life and prioritising self-care, family time, and hobbies during the pandemic.
All the stress in my body that I hold on to for years, suddenly released during the quiet times of the pandemic.
With the stress and uncertainty of the pandemic, I turned to mindfulness practices such as meditation and yoga to manage my mental health and well-being.
