Five Lessons Learned From Going Through a Pandemic
1. Together we are stronger.
Many of us are wondering about life after the lockdown has been lifted. With our eyes on the stars and yet our hearts on the ground, what will the new normal be? It will most assuredly be different, because you can’t go back once you’ve experienced something as life-changing as a pandemic and the ensuing lockdown.
We are forever changed, and whether it’s for good or not-so-good, our ultimate answer will heavily depend on our individual experiences, where we live, and how the pandemic has affected our sense of normalcy, safety, and community.
Living in a town that is off the beaten path and that was quick to shut down in early March (has it really been that long?), my own life has become a combination of new routines, homeschool, and closeness with my family while being removed from most everyone else.
Because I work at home for medical reasons, the biggest change has been going back to teaching my son, caring for animals, and working, all at the same time. But I did this for a year or so prior to the pandemic, so my focus has been more on supporting others when they need it, and bringing hope to myself and the world we live in through writing and compassionate acts.
But the death of George Flyody has brought a heaviness to my heart, and for the first time in awhile, it’s hard to get to sleep with all of the fear, pain, and injustice in the world.
We have seen into the unalloyed heart of reality, and there is little justice or humanity in it.
And at times, I have suffered anxiety over the future, but also hope, because as someone who has went through the gauntlet of life and came out more adaptable than I ever thought possible, I know in my heart that we, the people, the sentient beings of this planet, will emerge stronger, more resilient, kinder, and more compassionate.
And even with a heavy heart, the psychology researcher in me can’t help but focus on the positives and move forward no matter what the future brings after this worldwide crisis.
Celebrating the fortitude of our species and what we have learned during this time gives us a chance to reorient ourselves to what matters most, and to imagine the possibility of a life reinspired and souls reignited with compassion — going forward.
From these experiences, here are 5 lessons to remember once the lockdown ends:
1. Together we are stronger.
While our cities, towns, and communities address the pandemic, we’ve all learned that helping each other and being mindful of our neighbors is like balm to the soul. It is only through this intensive cooperation between communities that we can change the course of this pandemic.
Of course, it’s important to remember that there is still massive suffering in our world that needs addressing and compassionate action. Many of us do not have health care, or optimal health, and many are living closer to poverty by the day.
Many of us still have to go to work despite the intelligible risk, and our brothers and sisters are dying at increased rates because of our painful history that desperately needs to be addressed. On top of everything else, our planet is dying around us.
So much of our current reality is truly woeful, crude, and requires change immediately. The pandemic has expanded our awareness to these inequalities, and change is on the horizon.
This is the making of a future — our future as trailblazers who devoted our lives to the ultimate unifying force, our shared cosmic belonging, and the futures of generations for whom we model the courage of rewriting the dominant narrative of permission and possibility.
Working together for the good of all has helped us fight the pandemic, and will help us find solutions to other pressing issues such as ethnic violence, gender discrimination, poverty, world hunger, inequality, climate change, and all forms abuse.
Let us remember the importance of lifting up our brothers and sisters, living in gratitude, doing more with less, and focusing on what really matters, living with purposeful presence. This is what will create a more sustainable future for the earth and all of its inhabitants.
Because truly anything that we do not give freely becomes lost to us as if it never existed in the first place.
2. Stress reduction is a positive thing.
There have been many increased stresses during this pandemic. Many of us have lost our jobs or are worried about losing them, losing our homes, becoming sick, or the sickness of a loved one.
This is when stress reduction is paramount to regain our focus so we can take care of ourselves, our families, our communities, and the world.
Having to stay at home for months at a time has limited our usual stress reduction routines, like spending time in person with friends, going on walks, exercising with others, sharing meals with others, and just feeling the presence of those whom we love and hold dear. I rarely if ever watch the news (despite previously working in the news industry), because it’s far too easy to slip into an alarmist state brimming with anxiety and helplessness.
And really, that’s all that watching these horrible events unfold on the news can do — make us anxious, sad and panicked. Personally, I find it more restorative to help others around me, educate myself from un-sensationalized sources, and especially educate the children with whom I share my life.
Living in a constant state of stress is highly damaging to our physical, mental, and emotional health.
Have you ever noticed that stress and fear tend to spread like wildfire — one person in our household or workplace is stressed and then, if we aren’t careful, the stress ripples out and spreads to those around us.
This is even more true of our current situation where we are almost constantly around others without our usual stress-reduction techniques.
But there is hope, and perhaps it’s a positive thing that we’ve been forced to slow down and discover new ways to manage our stresses. Personally, I’ve been doing light workouts indoors and reminding myself that while these stressors are very real, my reaction to them starts in the brain, and if it starts within me, I can most certainly control it.
How have you learned to manage these stressful times?
Maybe you’ve started to journal, or meditate, or a new hobby such as baking, reading, organizing, or watching documentaries about the world’s plights.
Hopefully, these stress-reduction techniques will carry us into the future with improved mental health and appreciation for what we do have.
One of my favorite ways to reduce stress is by helping others.
Offering to deliver meals in the community, picking up rogue pieces of trash (with gloves), speaking kindly and respectfully to everyone, reaching out to those in isolation alone, helping others in their time of need; all of these actions come full-circle when we are the ones that need help — because sooner or later, we all do.
There is something wholly human and beneficial in helping others, and when we reduce our stress, it carries over and out into the world so that we are able to better recover from life’s challenges.
And it is through these moments of peaceful promise that we can rebuild, recharge, and devote ourselves to action once again.
3. Gratitude is paramount.
I am so grateful for the essential workers during this time.
Those who keep us well, help us with medical and dental emergencies, deliver our medicines and other essentials, supply our food… the list is endless.
These workers take on risks so that we can be safe. And we can repay them with kindness, compassion, and gratitude. Just saying “thank you” can go a long way toward showing appreciation.
I know that I am far more grateful after spending months working and educating my son at home.
I have gratitude that I can line fruits and vegetables up in the sunlight to ripen.
I am grateful that I can provide food for my family.
I am so, so very grateful for love, for having enough, for family and friends, and all day long I am finding new things for which I can be grateful.
We can also give and show gratitude to everyone and everything who makes our lives more pleasant and reduces our stress.
Because the complex dynamics of gratitude mean that the more kindness and gratitude that we share with others, the more that we get back. It makes the world a kinder place by creating a right-minded, ethically positive cycle.
4. We need much less than we think.
I recall, just before the pandemic, when I was preparing to get my biannual haircut, but then with businesses closing and the lockdown in place, I found that I didn’t need most of the things that I thought I did — including that haircut, but also monthly fast-food or takeout, and even new shoes.
I’m surviving just fine with what I have, and this is a lesson that I plan to carry into our post-pandemic world.
Sure, it’s nice to go out to eat, or buy new clothes and gadgets, but this isn’t our soul’s sustenance.
Once we have our basic needs taken care of, the rest is just extra.
Because of this, I hope that our culture will remodel its priorities to align with compassion, equality, and human dignity.
Our need for love and belonging is exponentially greater than any gadget that we can acquire.
Studies have found that kindness makes us happier than buying things.
It may be hard to believe; in fact, researchers often find that people underestimate the impact of giving to others on their wellbeing.
So let’s all try to consume less and give more, in order for all of us to thrive and have enough.
5. Relationships are the cornerstone of happiness.
During the pandemic, digital communication has become the norm. We hold Zoom meetings to see our family and friends. We rely on video chats to connect at work.
Many of us go to social media for that all-important human connection, but it isn’t the same as seeing these people in person.
You can’t hug a screen, or grasp your keyboard to show your support and compassion toward those whom you love.
Some things just can’t be replicated with technology — the power of a soul connection. Never again will we take the crowning glory of life, our friendships, or our human connection for granted.
As we start to reorient ourselves to this new world, I hope that each of us will have a newfound appreciation for life itself, for our privilege, basic necessities, health, relationships, and for that ever-pervading sense of common humanity that, if we let it, will construct a more compassionate, united, and understanding world.