What I Learned During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Oh the 2020 (and maybe 2021) pandemic. It's been almost a whole year of laying low, taking health precautions, and learning how to make room for rest. But in the midst of all of this, I believe it's safe to say that we have all done a bit of self reflection during this time. Here are a few things I learned during COVID-19.
4 Things I Learned During the 2020 Pandemic
1. Life is not guaranteed.
As most of you know, I thought I had met my end in May 2020. I was a young 23 year old who had just embarked on her career journey a few months before, and she was now quarantined to a drab hospital room with needles piercing her veins. COVID-19 had taken my breath and sent me hurled into a world of vomiting, uncontrollable coughing, and pneumonia in both of my lungs. It wasn't until I was placed on a clinical trial drug that I began to feel better.
COVID-19 made me realize one thing that we all have in common: we are all mortal. Your social class, up bringing, and network, cannot save you from the fact that you will one day pass away.
So what's my advice to you as a young adult who thought she was going to die? Live everyday like it's your absolute last.
2. If you want to see change in your life, you have to be the catalyst.
Change doesn't come by someone else doing the heavy lifting for your. Unlike the golden days where our parents would do everything for us, as an adult, we are tasked with taking care of ourselves. (*gasp* Can you believe it?)
So you are looking for a career change? To have healthier groceries in your fridge? To take more hikes? To get more sleep at night? I hate to break it to you, but it's all up to you to do those things.
I don't know why, but I was under the impression that things would magically just all fall together. It wasn't until this year that I realized that if I want to see change, I've got to put some skin in the game. It doesn't just happen by chance.
3. Busy isn't happy.
Before COVID, you would have seen my schedule filled to the rim with outings, errands, and other pointless ways to stay busy. I thought a life worth living was one full of crazy adventure, fun, and being completely booked up with things to do for the next month.
It wasn't until I met my boyfriend that I realized that leading a life of busy-ness was actually putting me behind, mentally. Being in a constant state of busy in all honesty made me feel anxious and gave me the inability to feel present in the everyday. Busy did not make me happy, but instead, it made me feel like a hamster who didn't know how to get off the wheel. I was addicted to stimulation and the art of "always doing something."
4. Finding new hobbies is life giving.
Like mentioned before, I used to always stay busy. One of the ways I stayed busy was going out to the bars and breweries to pass the time. By letting this be part of my *cough* almost 4x a week *cough cough* rhythm, I spent lots of money and time engaging in lots of drinking. I do love a good beer, but I think I took my beer admiration to another level.
During COVID, I had to stay home (obviously), and I am honestly grateful. It gave me time to sit, think, and reflect on life. It also made me get creative on ways to pass my time for free. Instead of buying drinks, I would read books, try out Pinterest recipes, or watch popular films I had never seen before.
Now I Have to Ask You....
What did you learn in 2020 during the pandemic?
