In late March this year, New Zealand went into Alert Level 4 lockdown to prevent the spread of the CoronaVirus. We were going so well for about a hundred days or so until new cases started to come up again in Auckland. Right now, we are in Alert Level 2, and I think we are all pretty much adjusting to this new normal.
I’ve been thinking a lot lately about how this pandemic has changed the way we live. I thought I’d write down the things I learned this year, and what I am grateful for. Here are the lessons that the pandemic of 2020 has taught me:
Mental health is just as important as physical health
For a couple of years now, there has been a lot of emphasis on taking care of our mental health. Depression, anxiety and a whole host of other mental health issues has been at the forefront of social media, especially here in New Zealand. Honestly, at first, I didn’t think too much of it, because I thought those things weren’t going to happen to me.
How wrong I was. A few weeks into the lockdown, with the four of us at home ALL THE TIME, John and I working while trying to figure out how to entertain/educate the girls, I was at breaking point. I wasn’t doing well at work, and I wasn’t doing well at being a mom at home either. My patience wore really thin and there were several times I cried because of frustration–that I was doing so poorly at my job, that I couldn’t find things for my kids to do at home.
In a moment of clarity, I understood that I had to do something. So after a talk with my husband, I quit work. There was an offer to just take a leave of absence, but we didn’t know how long this lockdown would go on, it just didn’t seem fair to let my employer wait for me. Four months into a new job, I handed my papers and left. The move seemed crazy, seeing as lots of people were losing their jobs, and we are not rich by any means. But I just thought that taking this break was much more important for my mental health than the salary I’d be getting at work. Right now, I’m in a better headspace, and the kids are back in school. I think I’ll be looking for a new job again.
Yes, it is important to keep ourselves physically healthy to avoid this virus, but our minds should also be taken cared of.
There’s lots of new things to try–even at home.
Dalgona coffee. Ube Pan de sal. Sushi Bake. There are so many goodies that were produced during this pandemic, because people were stuck inside. But there was definitely a lot to do at home–lots of home cooking and baking, the rise of home gardeners (“plant-Titos and Titas”), sewing face masks, setting up online businesses.
Often times, we think about “trying new things” as going out and doing something extremely adventurous–bunjee jumping, sky diving, etc. This pandemic has forced us to do things we don’t normally do at home. My husband ventured into baking and now has become quite the expert at making pan de sal. I’ve baked more goods this year than in previous years, seriously. Now I’m thinking of clearing our backyard to put some new plants in.
Be discerning about news sources
One alarming news I read during this time was advocating the use of disinfectant to treat the virus. I think we just have to keep ourselves updated with news from reliable sources. There’s information overload out there, that it can sometimes be difficult to know which ones to believe. Always follow advice backed by science. Follow your own practical, common sense.
Personally, I always take any news with a grain of salt, because at any one point, what seems factual today, may not be tomorrow.
Appreciate the resources we have now, and use them wisely.
I am glad that we live in these modern times. Can you imagine if this pandemic happened before the Internet existed? I’m pretty sure a lot more people would be unemployed because the work-from-home option would not exist. People wouldn’t be able to start their online businesses to add to their family income, without the Internet and social media.
How much anxiety would there be, if we weren’t able to call or Facetime our families that live far away? And how many more casualties would there be if hospitals and governments are unable to transmit information so quickly?
Be grateful for the teachers, the doctors, nurses, grocery workers and essential workers
I have always been appreciative of people in these industries, but never more so than during this lockdown. Our girls’ teachers were so committed to teaching remotely, they had videos and calls prepared everyday. It helped entertain the girls, even for a few blissful minutes to let us parents catch our breath.
Friends who are doctors and nurses tell of stories about the fear they have going into the hospital everyday, and the amount of preparation they do before and after work to make sure they don’t infect their families. And those ever patient grocery workers who were in the shops everyday, making sure people were following protocol.
So guys, always be nice to these people who make your life easier.
Take it slow. Breathe. Relax.
Probably one of the best things this pandemic and the lockdown has taught us is this: go slow. Many articles I’ve read say that this pandemic is Mother Nature’s “revenge”. I like to think of it as her reminder to pause. Stop and reflect what we’re doing to the earth. Did you know that NASA satellites recorded low levels of pollution during the lockdown period? That Mount Everest could be seen from a distance after so many years? That Venice’s canals reported low levels of pollutants?
We live in a fast-paced world, where everyone seems to be rushing off to somewhere. With this lockdown, we’re just at home, with the kids, went for a walk and some sunshine. Life can be as simple if we want it to be.
What lessons did you learn (about life, yourself) during this pandemic? I’d love to know. Leave a message in the comments section and let’s discuss. 🙂
