5 Takeaways We Could All Learn From a Pandemic

With or without a pandemic, I’m always in a perpetual state of trying to find lessons in the messes.

I’m a firm believer that every experience holds a purpose in our lives. Not in the way that everything happens for a reason so I should just kick back and let life do its thing kind of way.

It’s more of a choice I feel like I’ve been given to either take my experiences for what they are and not use them for a greater good or simply… learn from them. Even when those experiences are filled with dread, fear, and unshakable heartache, I will always choose the latter.

This isn’t to say this pandemic has been a breeze. Friend, I have never experienced such anguish and despair like I have in 2020. And these feelings continue to trickle into the second half of the year.

So, I wanted to add a disclaimer of sorts here to say we are all at very different points of the same path right now. While I wish for nothing more than to start over and redo this year sans pandemic, I still have the opportunity to learn alongside the grief and weight I carry.

At the very least, I hope these words below will spark a flicker of hope in your life as it has mine.

Love deeper

How many times have you heard someone tell you life is short only to half roll your eyes as if you didn’t know this already?

Now, how many times have you ACTUALLY understood its implications as a firsthand experience?

This pandemic has certainly been a scary and heartbreaking wake-up call all tied together with the fear of the unknown. We’ve lost so many lives. We continue to suffer from loss. And we will continue to face the devastating reality that life is simply too short for quite some time.

Something as earth-shattering as this doesn’t just wear away with time. Our hearts may be forever changed, but we can use this moment for good. We can use this moment as a reminder to love people deeper. Because life is short. And love is what makes it sweet.

Silver linings are hidden everywhere

“So what’s your silver lining,” were the muffled words he said to me under his face mask. I wasn’t sure what he meant by that.

It had been the first time we had seen each other in months. Actually, it had nearly been the first time I had seen anyone from the outside world in months. My eyes were weary and my heart was heavy after having been in complete isolation for months. Feeling a little battered and bruised, his question about silver linings threw me for a loop.

He went on to tell me his silver lining was working from home and getting to spend time with his kids. He hadn’t realized just how much he was missing while working at his demanding job. So, when he relocated his office to his home, that all changed.

The conversation carried on after I told him I hadn’t experienced my silver lining yet. Perhaps it was coming, but until then, I’d keep my mind distracted and busy in my work and newfound free time. As I was rambling about the unexpected joy I found in picking up an old hobby (digital art!) again, I caught his stare and stopped. It was like we shared this intuitive moment, and I knew what was about to come out of his mouth.“Your silver lining,” he said gently.

I nodded my head, “my silver lining.”Pay close attention to the conversations you’re having these days. If you, too, have felt as though your silver lining hasn’t come yet, maybe you just need to dig a little deeper.

Gratitude is always key

So often we get caught up in the daily nuances of life that we forget to appreciate what’s in front of us. Which begs the question: what are we to do when those nuances come to a screeching halt, and it feels like all that we had was stripped away?

My friend, I’ve been here before. No, I have never experienced a pandemic— quite frankly, I hope I never have to again. But, living with a disease that is, in many ways, as disruptive and destructive as a pandemic has mentally prepared me for moments like this. And, if there’s one trick I have up my sleeve for learning how to navigate through these times, it’s practicing gratitude.

Every single day.

It doesn’t have to be grand or Instagram-worthy. It just has to be felt in your heart. On my darkest days, I am thankful for the fact that my lungs still expand and collapse. Or I’ll pause for a moment to feel my heartbeat and be grateful. It is a testament to the fact that no matter how hard life gets, we can still be grateful to simply be alive.

This shift in mindset has truly been my saving grace this year. And for many years prior. So, when you find yourself riding the highs and lows quicker than the speed of light, whether it has everything or nothing to do with the pandemic, remember:

A grateful heart isn’t cultivated in a life without challenges. It is cultivated in spite of them. Bottle this nugget of truth up for the long run.

Rest needs to be prioritized

I miss my old lifestyle, I really do. But it would be remiss of me to ignore the fact that while I’m doing less stuff, I’m making more room for rest— something my body always craves.

My entire life I’ve struggled with this disconnect of wanting to pursue and fulfill my go-get-it mentality and honoring my body’s cry for a pause. However, now life has slowed down exponentially for me, I’m finally giving my body the reprieve I had denied it for so long. Maybe a part of you feels this way, too.

In this slowness, I’m finding myself saying yes to rest and not feeling guilty about it— a common battle my body and brain often duke out with one another. I’m seeing how much my body has craved this pause and how this new restful time has proven very beneficial for my physical and mental health. And, I’m re-learning that it’s okay to rest.

It’s okay to listen to what your body is telling you. Wearing yourself thin is not a badge of honor. And, putting rest on the back burner in the pursuit of the hustle and grind will only hinder you in the long haul. In fact, studies show that incorporating more rest into the daily grind will actually improve your workflow and help you become more effective at what you do. So, why is it that it took a pandemic for me to realize this?

I hope that someday my lifestyle will pick up the pace again. Maybe not the way it was before but enough to keep my inner overachiever thriving. And, when it comes, I’ll remember to prioritize rest this time around.

It’s okay to grieve then get back up

I think I have experienced more grief during this pandemic than I have in my lifetime. There is so much sadness in the world today. Lives lost, isolation, business closures, unemployment, riots, injustice, the ripple effect it’s all having on our mental health… I could sit here and write the longest list of the many ways I’ve experienced grief this year.

Much of 2020 has been heavier than it has been weightless. But there have also been glimmers of hope sprinkled in between. The silver linings, the acts of unprecedented kindness, the small wins that seem to matter more than ever right now… it’s all carefully constructed into a web of grief that only we can untangle.

But, sometimes it’s hard. Sometimes, in order to untangle this complicated web, we need to lose the guilt of feeling joyful amid the pain. It’s okay to find reasons to celebrate even though our hearts may ache. It’s okay to still want to chase happiness even when the world feels bleak. Heck, it’s okay to feel whatever you want to feel at whatever time you’re feeling it. Opposing feelings can coexist with one another.

So, go ahead. Grieve. Grieve for as long as it takes until you’re willing to get up again. Because, someday, you will. And, when you do, you’ll deserve every second of joy that it brings.