Lessons learned from the pandemic (so far)

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 05/05/2020 (2205 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

We’re still be in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic but I feel I’ve already learned some important lessons from it. With things slowing down the way they have, I think it’s only natural to find yourself reflecting on the pandemic and life in general.

The first lesson I’ve learned is that even though it seems like you’ll always have time to get things done, that won’t always be the case.

There were tasks and appointments that I had been putting off before COVID-19 surfaced that

I am truly kicking myself for not getting done sooner. With businesses closed and a public health order to stay at home, getting stuff done is now largely relegated to whatever you can do at home.

Had I known the world was about to hit pause, I definitely would have hustled harder to get more of that to-do list taken care of. Once things resume their normal order, whenever that might be, I certainly won’t look at procrastination the same way again.
The second lesson this pandemic situation has taught me is what my priorities really are.

It can be easy to lose track of what’s actually important to us with the noise of the world constantly buzzing around our heads. Take that away and force people to focus on themselves, their lives, and their mental wellbeing, and they will likely have a very different sense of what’s meaningful to them.

I miss hugging family members, and it’s a weird feeling to have no idea when that might

happen again. Talking to them on the phone, via video chat, or through an actual window helps but it doesn’t replace real, in-person quality time. I want to see them more often when this is over.

Hobbies like hiking, listening to music, gardening, and baking take on a whole new meaning when the scope of life has become more narrowed. These mini-refuges don’t just help me pass the time, they also allow me to focus on something other than the very strange and challenging situation we’ve found ourselves in.

The third lesson is that so many things in our lives are luxuries, even the simplest and seemingly most mundane.

Having access to food, water, toiletries, cleaning supplies, shelter, and medical care during this scary and currently indefinite situation should make us all feel like we’ve won the lottery when you consider the alternatives worldwide.

Melody Rogan is a community correspondent for Radisson. You can email her at preeneditorial@gmail.com