2020: The year that caught us by surprise and no, not the right kind of surprise. 2020 may well go down as the year marked by more losses than wins. The quarantines and the lockdowns have dragged on much longer than expected. Human interaction feels unlawful. Many continue to work from home while others find themselves jobless. And with no vaccine for COVID-19 in the near future, it would be easy to write off 2020 as a bust.
Yet, tough times often lead to reflection and present opportunities for people to do better. So before writing off 2020, let’s look at some positives that people have found during this pandemic:
1. Newfound Passion
Being stuck in quarantine has enabled many to discover new hobbies and interests, or realize passions and talents they didn’t know they had. According to Good News Network, “Two-thirds of Americans said quarantine has made them a better person, according to a new survey. Results revealed that 55 [percent] of respondents were a bit embarrassed by some of the things they valued pre-quarantine.” Forced isolation enabled many to seek out activities that are much more purposeful to them, such as creating, meditating, journaling, exercising or cooking.
2. Meaningful Things
According to Goods News Network, things people no longer take for granted include spending quality time in person with friends or family, hugs, traveling to new destinations, a relaxing walk in the park, shopping in a store, etc.” Gaining time and flexibility has aided in the transformation of American’s outlook on life.
3. Unmasking
With fewer in-person meetings, many have traded in their daily professional attire for sweatpants. Keerthana Rameshbabu from The Battalion stated, “There is a fine line between dressing for self-expression and dressing to impress our peers. Being on lockdown has made me realize I had deceived myself into thinking I bought certain items of clothing to make me happy. In reality, I bought them because of trends or outside influence.” Consumption and materialism have decreased while comfort is on the rise. Overall, working from home is less formal than most office settings and has unmasked awkward professionalism. An increased sense of humanness and a more casual work environment translates into more empathetic and better working relationships.
4. Finding Creative Ways to Connect
The COVID restrictions required a restructuring of many families and friendships. An excess in the duration of time spent in close quarters with family members is one extreme. The other is isolation, which involves that individuals have no personal contact with other individuals. Families with ample time together had to become creative to fill the extra time. Simultaneously, those under strict social distance rules found ways to use social media or meetup groups such as Zoom to maintain a sense of connectedness. Counselor Barbara Rickey told Premier Health News, “Find silly things to laugh about. Social media can be a saving grace for keeping a sense of humor and staying connected.” COVID has forced individuals to socialize differently and make a concerted effort to maintain successful relationships.
So, 2020 isn’t all bad. Though one may have to dig a little deeper to find it, there is good that has resulted from these odd times.
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