on May 5, 2020
Call me an optimist, but I am starting to see many good things come out of our nation-wide quarantine. Don’t get me wrong—the COVID-19 pandemic is an awful event that has negatively impacted many individuals and businesses—BUT some amazingly positive changes have emerged from the crisis.
Today, I want to focus on the uplifting changes I have noticed.
For one, families are spending more time in each other’s company. We are eating meals together, playing family games, exploring new hobbies, taking walks in the neighborhood. Instead of rushing off to baseball practice or band tryouts or theater practice, we have been granted a chance to breathe and sit still for once. I see this as a gift.
Secondly, people are more creative and innovative than ever. We are finding new ways to connect with each other through letter-writing, online video chats, virtual happy hours, online trivia and games, and myriad other ways. People talk about how they have connected or re-connected with people with whom they rarely spoke in the past five years. Imagine that! We’ve had this technology at our fingertips for years, but it took a global crisis to use it to connect with others.
Third, the timing of the quarantine happens to be great (at least in my part of the world!). This is springtime, and the weather is warm and perfect for going outside. We have the chance to hop on a bike, go for a walk, barbecue, or simply sit outdoors with some reading material and a cup of coffee.
Fourth, we’re spending less money on unnecessary things. Being quarantined is a humbling experience, and it helps us all realize that we can get by on a lot less. With no opportunities to hit the mall, go to concerts, travel, dine at restaurants, or attend sports games, we’re beginning to understand that we can make due with the basics. Plus, if we do indulge in ordering takeout from a restaurant or a little online shopping, it feels more like a treat than it used to.
Fifth, people are using the quarantine as a time to redefine and reinvent themselves. They are picking up new hobbies (or rediscovering old ones), taking online classes, figuring out new ways to workout at home, improving their cooking skills, and much more. If you haven’t started exploring something new, it’s not too late! Try browsing online classes at Udemy or Coursera, and see what piques your interest.
Though we are certainly going through a tough time on both a national and global scale, there is some good that is emerging through all of this. That’s the resiliency of the human spirit—we can thrive no matter how difficult the circumstances. Let’s all look for the silver lining in this awful pandemic and keep on keeping on!