Lessons we learnt from #Covid19
- No one could've prepared us for #Covid19, but the lessons it taught us have been of great value.
#Covid19 was definitely a surprise to us all. Little did we know that a virus originating from China at the end of 2019, would spread all over the world and affect all of our lives so drastically. Everything we knew changed overnight, forcing us to face a situation that none of us were prepared for.
What seemed to be something foreign and unlikely to affect us, became a pandemic that affected the whole world. From first-world countries to third-world countries. Everyone. Nobody was exempt.
Whilst the Corona Virus pandemic has been catastrophic on a social and economic level, the truth is, that every difficult situation teaches us unexpected lessons that we should carry forward once we overcome them.
No one could have prepared us for this, but how we respond to these circumstances is up to us, and we have the power to navigate it by looking at the positive outcomes that this pandemic has brought to us on a social level.
The truth is, that as a society, the way we were behaving was very concerning. There was a total disconnect between our body, mind and soul, we were ignoring the evident signs our planet was giving us to start paying attention to how we take care of it, pacing through life on fast-forward mode, trying to juggle way too many things at once, as well as masking our problems with all kinds of superficial external distractions.
And all of a sudden, a pandemic came into our lives to hit the pause button and reminded us of all the chaos that we were living in, both externally and internally. We went from living a fast-paced life to having to take two steps back and learn to live in the present and surrender to the unknown and unsettling times we were forced to live in.
If you look back on your life, there is probably not one challenging situation you have lived that hasn't taught you many valuable learnings. Every difficulty comes with great life lessons. The same principle can be applied to #Covid19.
Without a doubt, this pandemic has been very challenging on many levels, however, in true Mira nature, we would like to highlight the lessons learnt from this time. Let's get into it!
- Social connection
As the saying goes, you don't know what you have until you lose it. Pre-corona times, we took our social connections for granted. Our families and friends were a given in our life. However, once social distancing struck, our social lives as we knew it took a 360 degree turn. Not being able to see our loved ones has given us a new sense of appreciation for them. As homo sapiens, we seek human connection. And if there is something that #covid19 has demonstrated, it's exactly that, our yearn for contact, communication and connection. And that leads us to our next lesson, or in this case, appreciation.
- Thank goodness for technology!
During this pandemic, did you ever stop to think what it would've been like without technology? The truth is that one of the great advantages that technology has been able to bring us is communication. Can you imagine having to be quarantined and not being able to see your loved ones, even if it's via video call? We have to admit that those long video calls with our friends and family have saved us from many many meltdowns. It is no surprise that out of the top 5 most downloaded apps during the corona virus lockdown, 4 out of 5 of them are online communication platforms.
- Less is more
We've become wired to think that the more we have, the happier we will be. More success, more money, more material goods, more of everything basically. But then #Covid19 hit, and we were all stuck at home, where we could no longer show off our latest purchases, photos from our most recent holiday, fun weekend plans or seek external validations. All of a sudden all of the distractions that occupy our day-to-day lives were mostly absent. And throughout that process you probably realised you don't need those new pair of shoes to feel good, that actually, you're perfectly happy with what you've got, you don't have to go on that holiday or go out every single weekend to have fun or make special memories. Yes, of course it helps and part of you has been missing having a social life, but when you get down to basics you realise that it's the simple things in life that make you happy, and that actually, when your basic needs are met, you don't need that much to be happy. Everything else is just add-ons to your life, but isn't essential.
- Gratitude
Gratitude is the right attitude. Being thankful for what we have is incredibly beneficial to both our mental and physical health. Scientific research has found that those who practice gratitude regularly are happier, and psychologically and physically healthier. According to the University of Berkeley, one study found that more grateful cardiac patients reported better sleep, less fatigue, and lower levels of cellular inflammation, and another found that heart failure patients who kept a gratitude journal for eight weeks were more grateful and had reduced signs of inflammation afterwards. Several studies have found that people who define themselves as grateful, experience less depression and are more resilient following traumatic events.
- Not take things for granted
Taking things for granted is something we all are guilty of, but especially when our lives are running smoothly. But, what happens when life as we know it drastically changes from one day to another?
Hopefully you'll realise that nothing can be taken for granted. A wonderful byproduct of not taking things for granted is that you're much more grateful and able to live in the present. Which leads us to our next lesson.
- Stay present
When the whole world is dealing with a global pandemic, and levels of uncertainty are at their highest, one of the greatest tools to shut down the external noise, is staying present.
Realising that spending your time anticipating what's coming next (when we have absolutely no clue what the F is coming next) and fearing where things are heading to, doesn't change the current situation, it's actually quite liberating. Freeing you could say. This is when you have to let go and live in the present. Simply take things day by day, be grateful you're alive and appreciate what you have.
It's taking your power back and not letting yourself be pulled in a whirlwind of fear, negativity and sadness. The more present you are, the less suffering you will have.
So, yes, Covid has been (and still is) a nightmare in many senses. But it has also been a great teacher. Like with everything in life, we must look at the positive lessons we learn from every situation.
What lessons has #Covid19 taught you?