20 Takeaways from the Pandemic of 2020

It has almost been impossible to not think about some of these things in the past several weeks, and it was helpful for me to put them all in one place. I hope you find it helpful somehow too.

1. We are all interrelated. In a few months, what started with a virus in a few animals in China has impacted the entire world in so many ways. It saddens me that it takes things like this to bring us together, but perhaps it is the wake-up call that many of us needed to remind ourselves to try to put our differences aside and focus more on what we have in common and how we can help one another instead of put each other down. We are all humans.
2. Human interaction is very important. In this time where we’re forced to be away from friends and family, I hope people realize how important it is to actually spend time together face to face off our devices and not take that opportunity for granted because we are not meant to live in isolation. However, I am glad there is technology that allows us to keep in touch from afar and that people are making the time to reconnect with people they haven’t talked to in a long time. I also hope that families who don’t typically eat meals together but are doing that now realize how valuable that time can be and continue doing so when this is all over.
3. Sometimes it’s good to distance ourselves. On the flip side, it can be a good thing to step back and take a break from our busy lives and focus on what is best for ourselves and our families. Having a simpler schedule and prioritizing what is really important and what we can do without is necessary every so often.
4. What and who is essential? That is the question of the year and is different for everyone, but it’s something we’ve all had to think about as businesses gradually closed and we have been asked to only leave the house only when we need to shop for essential items. Can we survive with out sports and other forms of entertainment? Yes. Do we want to? No. Can we do without people in the medical profession? Absolutely not. Should hair salons and barbershops e considered essential? Can we get by without our favorite brand of cereal or chips or food prepared in a restaurant? That seems to depend on whom you ask and can be different for different people. It’s definitely something to think about.
5. Sometimes less is more. I like that this has brought us back to living a more simple life like it used to be before we have everything we could possibly want at our fingertips and technology to keep us occupied. Spending quality time with family, making more home cooked meals, having to cut each others’ hair, making an effort to call (or at least have a Zoom meeting) with family and friends, not having every food come prepackaged and ready to go from the store, making do with what we have at home, pulling out board games and jigsaw puzzles to stay occupied, and maybe planting a garden are not necessarily bad things. It does seem like we’ve gone back in time to when gas prices were lower, people didn’t travel as much, parents were more involved in their children’s schoolwork, pollution was not as bad, schedules were not as busy and people more time at home together as a family, and so many other things. I hope at least some people make a conscious effort to not jump back into the crazy schedules that they had before the pandemic, now that they have experienced what life could be like without that.
6. Gratitude is important. With so many people going the extra mile right now to make sure we are staying healthy and getting the food and other supplies we need, we do need to stop and be grateful for those people and any other positives that we can think of. It’s easy to get lost in the negatives and get in the mode of complaining and feeling sorry for ourselves, but thinking about and expressing gratitude often combats that. I’m glad to see professions like health care providers, teachers, truck drivers, grocery store workers, and many other everyday people just doing their jobs getting the respect and praise that they deserve for a change. Athletes, musicians, actors and actresses, and many other professions often get put on a pedestal, so it’s nice to have less focus on those people right now and the true heroes are getting a turn in the spotlight for a change.
7. Planning ahead is always a good idea. Whether it’s having money set aside in case you end up suddenly out of work, planning out meals and grocery shopping for at least a week at a time, or not waiting until you’re down to the last roll of toilet paper to buy more, thinking ahead and preparing for emergency situations or even just the case that you might not be able to get something or somewhere or do something you typically do is always a good idea. We can’t plan for everything, but not leaving everything until the last possible minute or doing everything on a whim doesn’t work well in these situations. Not living beyond your means is part of what makes planning for emergencies possible.
8. This is not the time to be selfish. It amazes me every day but particularly now how many people typically put themselves first and don’t feel like the rules apply to them. Whether it’s hoarding toilet paper and other items, looking to make a profit with those hoarded items, leaving used gloves on the ground in parking lots, not staying home and practicing social distancing, protesting stay at home orders because you need a haircut, or any number of other things, I really wish that we lived in more of a cooperative society where it was the norm that people made decisions based on how it will impact the greater good rather than the competitive society that we seem to have where too many people put their own needs above everyone else’s. It would also be nice if there were fewer people complaining because of petty little things that they can’t do or have and instead look at the big picture and see how things for them aren’t really all that bad. They could be dying or have a loved one dying or be on the front lines risking their life to help save others. It’s all a matter of perspective.
9. We need to be empathetic. It’s obvious that there are so many people who can’t seem to take direction or who don’t like following rules or being told what to do. Their ego is too big, they are too selfish, and they lack empathy or compassion. Unfortunately, it is because of these people that we will all be in this situation a lot longer than we could be and that more lives will be lost. When you plan and participate in a protest that deliberately blocks the roads needed for healthcare workers to get to the hospital to save the lives of others because you don’t like staying home and not being able to do all that you usually can, that’s just plain stupidity. This is not the time to be complaining about your rights being taken away when you’re really just being inconvenienced. It’s a time to put your wants aside and think about the needs of others who are less fortunate than you are.
10. Thank goodness for those who are stepping up and pitching in. On the other end of the spectrum are the people who go above and beyond and have been donating their time and/or resources to help others. There have been so many examples of this during this time. I just wish it wasn’t only in these times of crisis that more people are able to put their differences aside and work together so that everyone will benefit. We need each other more than we realize a good part of the time, and we all need to give back to the community and help those around us, especially if it means we will be helping save lives.
11. New ideas and ways of doing things are popping up everywhere! From so many people learning how to work from to home to companies shifting over to making very necessary products like hand sanitizer, masks, and ventilators, it’s refreshing to see how quickly it is possible for these changes to be made, especially thanks to all the technology we have available today.
12. There is no time like the present to focus on reducing and reusing, not to mention being resourceful. I think most of us are reasonably good at recycling but maybe not so good at reducing and reusing. Now that supplies are more limited, incomes are not there for many, and it’s safer to stay at home rather than make trips to the store for everything we need, it’s a perfect time to be less wasteful and figure out how to use what we already have at home.
13. Creativity is a blessing. One thing I am grateful for is all the ways we can be creative to not only keep ourselves occupied and protecting our mental health but also to lift each other’s spirits and stay connected during this difficult time. I love seeing stories about people in Italy making music together from their balconies, musical groups who have put together performances through Zoom, and so on. It is also a reminder that we are all interconnected even though we are apart and still need each other.
14. Science is real. For those who don’t believe in global warming or vaccinating their children or science in general, I hope this has opened your eyes that we can’t ignore science and that what we choose to do or not do really does have an impact on the health and well-being on everyone around us as well as the environment.
15. Getting outside is important. It is good for our brain chemistry, which affects our mental health, to experience and appreciate nature. So I am glad there are still ways to do that while still observing social distancing rules. I’ve noticed a lot more neighbors making a point to take a walk every day and more kids playing out in their yards. I’m anxious for it to get a little warmer so I can spend more time outside enjoying a nature trail or being by a lake or otherwise experiencing nature.
16. The uncertainty is challenging. One of the most challenging things about this pandemic is that so much is unknown. Things change every day, and we don’t know how long it will be before we can get back to “normal,” let a lone what the new normal will be. Plus, what happens in the future depends a lot on what everyone chooses to do now, and it’s difficult to sit back and watch others ignoring the mandates, knowing it is impacting how long we are in this limbo state.
17. Patience is really a virtue. In today’s world with everything at our fingertips, it has seemed for a long time that too many people don’t know how to be patient because they don’t have to be. We’ve all had to miss out on a lot of important milestones for ourselves or our loved ones, gone without things that we are used to having and being able to do, and had to figure out how to do a lot of things differently. For those who can’t seem to handle that without complaining about how much you’ve had to give up, take a look around you and take a look at history, and I hope you will see what true sacrifice is all about. A few weeks at home with all the technology we have available is nothing compared to what our ancestors went through in previous pandemics and times of war.
18. We are resilient. As much as it feels like there is no end in sight, we will be in isolation from our friends and loved ones forever, and many people and businesses are struggling financially, we will hopefully be stronger and better humans on the other side. We are way ahead of the game with regards to technology, communication, science, and other resources than previous pandemics and other times of crisis, and we will get through this.
19. Look for the positives. As they say, hindsight is 2020. The year 2020 will definitely be one to look back on and remember. Clearly, there have been many negatives including the number of fatalities, the economy coming to a halt, people not being able to earn an income, the protests potentially delaying us trying to get back to normal, and so on. But I certainly hope that all of the positives that have come out of this will be remembered for a lot longer. And I hope those positives will be passed on to future generations as well.
20. This is an opportunity to reboot. Perhaps this is the wake up call that some of us needed to put things in perspective and re-evaluate our current situation, our viewpoints on certain issues, and our priorities. I sincerely hope that when this is all said and done, we all take fewer people and things for granted, we think more carefully about how our decisions and behaviors affect others, we are more appreciative of one another and all that we do have and can do, we see that working together instead of against each other is possible and preferred, and we learn from our mistakes so we don’t have to be in this situation again in the near future.

If you made it to the bottom of this, I sincerely hope you and your loved ones are safe and healthy. My heart goes out to anyone who has lost someone they know due to this nasty virus.