Covid-19; what it has taught me about life, and many other things.
I know, I know – you’re probably sick of hearing about the Global Pandemic by now! With the weekly Prime Minister addresses on the situation, nothing else being spoken about on the News channels and Apps…
And of course it being the hot topic on social media. With every influencer posting their favourite joggers and loungewear combos and sharing their memories from their last holiday or night out with their friends.
Frankly, I have found this all quite exhausting.
BUT – despite all of this, and despite feeling like we’re all existing more than living during all of this – there is a lot we can learn from it.
Of course the Pandemic is truly tragic across the world and I am not trying to dispel that, because it has been affecting so many of us for a number of months now. We do have to weather this storm the best we can, and one of the ways I have been able to do this myself, is to take this time to reflect. Reflection is a great outlet, which I would highly recommend to anyone, about almost any situation or circumstance.
Some of the “lockdown restrictions” have now been lifted here in the UK (please stay at home if you can!) and I have started to think about what the last two to three months has taught me, which I am sure will resonate with many of you too.
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Health is Wealth
Without your health, what really is there?
Even aside from this Pandemic, I have had to make some significant changes to my life due to my thyroid condition. And therefore this whole philosophy of Health is Wealth has been at the forefront of my life for well over 6 months now.
“This whole situation” (Brits – isn’t this all you’re hearing right now when anyone refers to Covid?!) has only made this ring more true for me. As I’m sure it has for many others too. If you were to develop the flu, a life changing health condition or even something you needed surgery for, suddenly your job, career, nice car and fancy clothes doesn’t mean all that much. Because you’d potentially be unable to enjoy all of those things without having your health.
So seriously, without your health, what have you got?
This goes for not only your physical health, but your mental, emotional and spiritual health too. Bringing the focus of A). a good, healthy and well balanced diet and regular activity, with B). growing your skill set in certain areas and mental resilience with personal development, and C). developing good daily habits to keep yourself in check, are all been brought to the forefront of our priority lists.
To be honest, a Global Pandemic shouldn’t be “the thing” that makes all of these things move to the top of our to-do lists. Rather it should be a reminder to everyone that our bodies, minds and souls all need a rest every once in a while. And regular focus and work on them to ensure we’re functioning to the best of our capabilities, when we’re not faced with a Pandemic.
The global pandemic has taught me the real importance of health and what that means for me.
Family Holds Us Together
I don’t know about anyone else, but over the last 6 – 8 weeks I haven’t worried about much else other than the safety and health of my family. Especially as I haven’t been able to see them.
It really does emphasise the fact that no job, amount of money, designer clothing or shoes really matters… If something is threatening the health of your family.
In parallel to this, the Pandemic has really highlighted the importance of support from family. I feel incredibly lucky to be so close to most of my family, and the support I have been given from them again re-enforces the fact that family really does hold us together.
Each morning when I write down my Gratitude list, more often than not, my family will be there on the list because I am so incredibly grateful for all their continued support through everything I decide to do (or not do in some cases!) – global Pandemic or not.
Mindset and Personal Development Really is Everything
Having the mental strength and resilience to overcome challenges in a logical or mindful way is hard to develop. And it’s only when we’re faced with a threat, such as this Pandemic, that this fact becomes known.
The time we have subsequently been given through this Pandemic may have led to more overthinking, or thinking more about everything going on. Certainly more so than normal because many of us have generally not been as occupied by staying at home, than if we’re going to work, meeting friends etc.
On one hand, what an incredible gift we have been given to reflect on our lives and how we have been living with the time we now have… But on the other, this may have led to some unpleasant thoughts or realisations. The great thing about this time is that for either one of these (positive or negative) we have the time to reflect on these things and start to form a plan for how we’d like certain areas of our lives to change for the better, once we go back to normal.
This is where having a focus on personal development and a positive mindset is incredibly important. If you have already been in the habit of reflection or working through difficulties, then it may come much easier to you throughout this time.
However if it’s not something you’re familiar with then it can be quite daunting and overwhelming. It’s crucial to acknowledge the areas you may need to work on or adjust after this Pandemic and actually work through these areas that you’re not happy with. Keep reflecting and asking yourself questions and writing these things down in a notebook until you reach some clarity.
RELATED – Developing A Positive Mindset
It takes time and consistent effort to develop a strong and positive mindset that can help you to overcome the challenges of life. It’s safe to say that a lot of us have found ourselves with even more time on our hands than ever before, which makes it the perfect time to actually think about our personal growth.
The Importance of Technology
Of course, throughout our daily lives even before Covid-19 a lot of us were glued to our phones or computers, through work or personal time anyway. But actually, the importance of technology and how this can really help us and large companies, has been incredible.
Just think – we have learnt through this that a lot of our common jobs can be performed at home, and not in a stuffy, crowded office. With the likes of Zoom, Google Hangouts and all the online storage available to us now, we can communicate and work almost just as well as in the office normally. And I am sure in some cases people have found that they actually work better or more efficiently because they are at home.
Not only for work and business purposes, but for our personal lives too – the importance of technology has shifted somewhat. Keeping in contact with our friends and family through the likes of Zoom, FaceTime and Skype has kept our relationships alive.
The global pandemic has taught me that technology can improve the way we work and go about our day-to-day lives.
There you have it! 4 things the global pandemic has taught me.
What has this Global Pandemic taught you? What sort of principles and priorities have been made clear to you over the last couple of months? I would love to hear about it in the comments below!
I hope you’re all keeping well and safe during this time… And wishing you all good health.
Best Wishes,
Jessica xo
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