By Kate Harveston | Posted: May 25, 2020
Few people would deny that the first half of 2020 has been challenging. The COVID-19 pandemic transformed not only the nation but the globe, and not all the developments — like unemployment — have been positive.
Still, in any adversity lies the opportunity to make significant improvements. Trying times challenge people to reinvent themselves and adopt healthier habits to prevent future calamities and restore inner and outer peace. As the world cautiously begins to emerge from quarantine and shelter-in-place orders, retaining the lessons learned can lead to a more harmonious existence for all.
1. Appreciating the Necessities
You don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone — was 80s hair-band Cinderella referring to toilet paper when they penned those lyrics? Okay, now that you finished groaning, in all seriousness, ask yourself a question. How much did you take for granted that you could pop into a store to grab what you needed from the shelves? Now, such trips require masks, hand sanitizer and a carefully prepared shopping list so that you don’t forget necessary items.
Practicing gratitude has many benefits, including increasing your happiness, improving your health and even bettering your sex life. Don’t feel silly when you rejoice that yes, there is one remaining roll of paper towels in the multipack you purchased. Appreciating your bounty will make you a better person.
2. Reducing Consumption
Before the pandemic, did you tear off more sheets than you needed? Did you waste food if it wasn’t exactly what you were craving at the moment? You weren’t alone, but that doesn’t make such behavior okay.
Many people lament not having enough, but also create a ton of waste with unnecessary impulse purchases and squandered resources. If you learned how to save seeds from your store-bought produce and egg cartons to let them sprout, don’t abandon your new eco-friendly craft because it’s now more convenient to buy more tomatoes. Continue to perpetuate your crops and plant them in your garden. Restrain yourself the next time you get a bonus and feel tempted to splurge on something you don’t need.
3. Taking Care of Our Health
If anything positive comes out of the pandemic, it will hopefully be a powerful lesson about how valuable your health is. While it sounds cliche, you genuinely don’t have anything without it. Prioritizing basic preventative care measures like regular checkups and eating healthfully shouldn’t be considered fluff. They are measures everyone should take, along with regular exercise, to keep functioning at your peak.
Hospital care already accounted for a third of healthcare costs in America before the pandemic. Now, more than ever, hospitals need extra beds available, and many health problems that typically land people in the ER are easily prevented by making lifestyle changes. If you started a new fitness program while sheltering-in-place, don’t abandon it when your state reopens. The same goes if you improved your diet — keep eating healthy foods high in nutrient content and fiber.
If you are not already familiar with using breathing techniques for improved health and calm mind, take a little time to attend this free online Breath and Meditation session with a live instructor, Beyond Breath.
4. Padding the Emergency Fund
Even if you didn’t lose your job during the shutdown, you probably sweated it out for a few tough weeks while you waited to get the bad news. Hopefully, you learned a valuable lesson about saving. It doesn’t matter if you only have $10 leftover to sock away after paying your bills. Over time, any investment adds up.
Most experts recommend saving three to six months’ worth of income in your emergency fund. However, if recent events made you feel more secure by increasing that amount, go for it. You don’t want to become Ebenezer Scrooge, but the more money you save, the more you can put it to work for you by letting it earn interest.
5. Getting More Imaginative
How did you entertain yourself during the shutdown? Maybe you started taking ukulele lessons, or perhaps learned how to knit a mean hat or afghan. Chances are, you felt proud of your accomplishments, too. Exercising your creativity reminds you that you have the power to make meaningful change in the world, no matter in how small of a way. Keep up those healthy hobbies.
6. Valuing Our Families
Did you take your loved ones for granted before you found yourself with them 24/7? While you may feel like you had too much togetherness recently, hopefully, you rediscovered why you fell in love with your spouse. You also got to see how your children are developing and growing. They’ll never be the same age that they are today ever again, so carry with you the lesson to cherish your family as the world returns to normalcy.
7. Taking Joy in Simple Pleasures
Before the shelter-in-place orders took hold, you might have considered your workout just another chore you needed to complete each day. During quarantine, your fitness routine became a delight as you used physical movement to ease stress and escape from the reality of the world. Maybe you used the time to get back in the kitchen to prepare healthy meals. If you then sat down around the dinner table to enjoy your creations mindfully, keep that habit moving forward.
Let’s Keep These Positive Habits Long After the Pandemic Ends
COVID-19 changed the world, but only you can decide to make the transformation positive. Embrace the lessons and habits you developed during this period of adversity to appreciate the good times more when they return.
In the meantime, get started with your journey to well-being with Beyond Breath - A Free Breath & Meditation session with a Live Instructor. Select your date now.
Kate Harveston writes about wellness and mental health. If you enjoy her work, you can visit her women’s health blog, So Well, So Woman. You can follow her on Facebook and Twitter.
