The pandemic has changed a lot in my life. When it started I was a second-semester senior in high school eager to make memories such as prom, graduation and beach week that were promised to us. While life took a very different course, this past year has been a period of great personal growth and reflection, and I am grateful for all that I have learned.
- Keep Your Circle of Trust Small
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One of the most important lessons I have learned that has kept me safe so far is to keep my circle of trust small. When the rules of life get more demanding and take more strength to follow, you can’t always trust everyone around you to follow them.
The pandemic has forced me and all of us to hold the people around us to certain expectations. I learned that I can’t always trust everyone to take things as seriously as they should.
Because bubbles can only be so big before they break, I had to limit the people I meet and interact with on a daily basis. This led to some hard but worthwhile sacrifices. In the future, I’ll know to keep staying true to what I think is right, despite how tempting the wrong decisions may be.
The extra distance between people has also shown me that it’s in these most challenging and unpredictable moments that the strength of our relationships is tested. Without seeing everyone every day, I prioritized the relationships in which I felt the most fulfilled and true to who I am. I valued the ones that continued and figured that maybe the ones that withered away were never really meant to be.
Even now, as the world gets a little closer to normal each day, I continue to evaluate and re-evaluate my friendships to make sure I am investing my time in something healthy and rewarding.
- Free Time Doesn’t Exist (Until You Create it)
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Before the pandemic, I was constantly working on school and would think that I never had time to do the things I enjoyed. I saw relaxing as going out with friends or watching a movie, but never truly took time off for myself. For the first couple months of the pandemic, I did no work yet felt so productive in doing the things I used to enjoy. I played tennis, explored new music and actually started reading books. I felt like a child again, and it was such a grounding and peaceful lifestyle.
I believe that the older we get, the more we need to spend time with just our thoughts, reflecting on our life. Now, although I have classes and other responsibilities, I still make sure I purposefully carve out time to relax by myself. This is definitely a habit I would not have picked up if it weren’t for lockdown because I’m a generally extroverted person who loves constantly surrounding myself with people. I’ve realized it’s so easy to lose track of my alone time, but I hope to continue this habit even in the post-COVID world.
- Nature Heals
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From going on hikes to exploring rivers in my area, I found so much happiness in spending time in nature last summer. Even just going on walks with my family and friends felt refreshing, a feeling I hadn’t felt in a long time. Pre-pandemic, my idea of fun centered more around going out with friends, shopping and eating at restaurants.
While I still enjoy these things, I was forced to find other avenues of fun. I found that spending time outside energized me more than other activities and is something I try my best to continue.
There’s no denying that this past year has been one of the toughest years for the world. Watching the news and seeing healthcare professionals struggling to keep patients alive showed me how precious and short-lived each moment in life is. Reflecting on the lessons from this past year, I’ve come to realize that the opportunity to learn and grow always exists, even in some of the darkest times. I’ve heard this phrase so many times before, but it ultimately took my own first-hand experience to understand how valuable this piece of advice is.