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Trends, times with loved ones, and even more viral materials people hopped onto—aside from these, what else did the pandemic bring?
Time does fly fast, so much so that it has already been four years since COVID-19 first affected the world. Things feel like they happened yesterday. Everyone saw how quickly the pandemic changed people and the world. Some buildings and establishments shut down. Most companies tapped into remote work, while others indefinitely closed. People lay low and shut themselves from the world.
Without a doubt, the pandemic turned lives 180, shifting people’s focus from leisure to survival as the world came to a sudden standstill. Looking back, the event seemed to have only brought negativity, and there are enough apparent reasons to believe so.
But if people were to look at things from a separate perspective, would the pandemic have brought any good?
How Has the Pandemic Affected Individuals?
COVID-19 was among the strangest, most unpredictable events that took place during the year.
It was in nobody’s “bingo card” to experience a rampant and extremely dangerous pandemic. It was so sudden and so unfortunately unfamiliar that it felt like the world was taken back centuries ago. Despite the advancements in technology and systems, nothing could have prepared people for what the pandemic brought.
It was as new for everyone, even the professionals, that it had been as though the healthcare field reverted to knowing nothing about viruses, and the world struggled to contain them.
The uncertainty behind the situation was among the reasons why the pandemic changed people. Everyone had so little knowledge about what to expect that they had to experiment and jump from one activity to another to find comfort. The crisis altered people’s lives, from their lifestyles to the mental and psychological distress they had to cope with.
For a long time, people had to live with this uncertainty and disruption. The pandemic had destroyed the lives of many, inflicting long-term damage to their health and families. From losses to extreme restrictions, there is a lot of cynicism to take away from the situation.
But is it possible to find even a single silver lining to move forward from it?
The Pandemic Changed People, But Is There Any Positivity?
People can be resilient. They can encounter problematic situations and still find a tinge of positivity in them, a sliver of hope and optimism. However, the pandemic was unlike the other problems people would have encountered on a daily basis. Regardless of how optimistic they could’ve been, the event posed a problem for shifting perspectives.
It’s not as though they could’ve seen the crisis lightly, made jokes about it or treated it less seriously than they should’ve. The pandemic changed people. It made them more mature and cautious than they had been before its onset. As the storm continued, people naturally had to adapt and meet its demands. They had to change their mindsets, communicate, and behave to fit into the “new normal.”
But beyond these, how else had the pandemic changed people?
Saw Life More Meaningfully
If the pandemic had influenced one thing about people, it would’ve been their perception of life.
Unfortunately, one of the biggest impacts of the crisis was on people’s health and losses. The virus was so potent that the world experienced the most significant loss within a year. People mourned more than they were frightened for their health. The world hadn’t witnessed a heavier sense of agony since.
However, what came with this is people’s more profound appreciation of life. The news being bombarded with constant numbers and statistics made life’s non-permanence more apparent. This prompted people to view life with more gratitude, a fresher perspective than what had been.
The pandemic changed people in such a way that they learned to appreciate life. Instead of looking at things they lacked, they learned to focus on abundance, what they have to be thankful for.
Focused on Mental Health
The pandemic caused a massive number of casualties, which consequentially shook people’s stability and sense of safety and security. The pandemic changed people as it made them more anxious, given what they’d been exposed to. With this shift, people also came to realize the importance of and prioritized the improvement of their mental health.
This is among the most significant silver linings the event presents. Without such an apparent crisis, people wouldn’t have been prompted to care for their mental health as much as they do now. It emphasized the importance and benefits people can get from simple visits and by simply talking about situations.
Better Self-Sufficiency and Expression
The time people spent indoors as the pandemic disrupted routines prompted people to take on different activities to pass the time. While this might have increased screen time, some have taken the opportunity to build new hobbies and spark new passions. They indulged in creative activities that flourished their skills and made them more self-sufficient. The heaviness of the pandemic became their motivation, a reason to distract themselves and invest in building their strengths.
Christina Trezevant McGriff is among the many creatives who found art during these trying times. Instead of succumbing to the mundanity and the repetitious nature of the lockdown, she took the time to master her craft. She made the pandemic her muse, an inspiration to write purposeful and moving poems that capture how erratic life had been and felt during the pandemic. Like the author, people had also built themselves and their proficiencies during the event.
Without a doubt, the pandemic changed people and the world. However, while most apparent factors were riddled with negativity, the event also had positive effects.
If you’re interested in looking back and reading more about the pandemic from the author’s eyes, grab copies of Christina Trezevant McGriff’s Simultaneously. Stay updated with the author through her social media accounts.
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