I could probably write a book on this subject. I generally don’t think we talk enough about the positive things that come from tragedy and disaster. It’s probably why our culture is so fearful and morbid about death or why we are always suffering from “never enough” syndrome. I’m not a psychologist, just an internet expert, so don’t take my word for it – I’m just over here, speculating. That said here is my (not quite complete, but who has time to read these days) list of positive lessons I learned from the pandemic.

We need to slow down! When the World stopped so much of the busy work and bullshit of life stopped, too. I was never one for meditating or mindful practices, but during the lockdown I realized how much I enjoyed being present and being bored. Genuinely and truly “bored”. Boredom without the anxieties of “was I supposed to be doing something right now?” was so freeing.

We are stronger than you or I. Cultures with a less “individualistic” and “capitalistic” world view seemed to handle community health initiatives better. Now, I would need to see if the data out there support this statement, but what I know is that while News reels were showing me images of Americans in certain states plow over employees at shops with a refusal to wear a mask, Germans who DID complain about the masks did so while wearing them. On a smaller scale, the American PX/Commissary were either running out of items or putting up signs to “please take only one” of certain items (*achem* Toilet paper). These signs did not exist in our German stores, nor were they necessary. Take only what is needed, NO MORE – this is a German mantra. Now, there is more to the story about the PX/Commissary that does make my statement a BIT misleading (i.e. shipping and logistic reasons were common, despite a pandemic), so take that as you will. Either way, supplies, mask wearing, and a willingness to remain home did seem far more successful where a sense of self is linked to the community.

Hobbies are important. I learned how to sew (sort of), mix cocktails, learned new cooking techniques, read a lot, and played several board games during the course of our lockdown (although, to be fair, board games were always a part of our lives). In our isolation, I had acquired so many new skills (but also possibly lost a few…social skills, arguing back at the Germans…more social skills). I probably tried more hobbies in this time than I had in the several years before that. Hobbies have been shown to promote several health benefits from warding off (or slowing down) certain types of dementia and building positive relationships and community.

Embrace the benefits of being outdoors. A lot of what was allowed during the lockdown involved being outside. Hikes, outdoor dining, and gardening were amongst our regular outdoor activities. Paired with my cocktail making and culinary exploration, we might have indulged a bit more than we should have; however, we also play a lot of bocce, harvested a ton of lettuce and spinach (the strawberries were a bust, as usual), and took in more vitamin D than is required. We also walked to the wine shop a lot that was up the road, sometimes overestimating our ability to carry the loot we had just purchased, forcing us to invest in a little trolly (or maybe we already had one?)

Side Quest: The strangest thing we noticed during our lengthy time spent outdoors was how quiet the skies were – no air planes. It was wild. And I’m not sure if there was a sudden influx of birds in our quieter skies, or if we just noticed them more against the emptiness, but our feathery neighbors certainly became the focal point against the blue backdrop.

Exercise! As I mentioned in the first article on this topic, my partner and I completed the 100 day Morning Meltdown challenge from Beach Body On Demand and by the time things opened back up for travel in the summer, we weren’t completely appalled by our appearance. Okay, the benefits are beyond the superficial – we had more energy, felt better, and let’s be honest, we needed something to counter our excessive patio lounging.

The benefits of remote work. I’m not saying this doesn’t come without its burdens. Of course there will be employees who might work less or be distracted by their home life, there might be inconsistency in internet quality between employees, or it could even worsen feelings of isolation in some individuals. On the flip side, it reduces the need to commute, gives more flexibility to the work-life balance, and opens up employment opportunities to people who live in more remote locations. Just knowing it is possible for those who might rely on remote employment has been a huge step in how we evaluate the work paradigm.

This is certainly not exhaustive. I could spend a week finding a hundred more positive lessons learned from during this time – how we view traveling or how we manufacture goods, for instance (anyone remember the logistics of making masks and ventilators when each component was made in a different country?) There were countless tragedies and negative outcomes from this pandemic, some still to be revealed, I’m sure. But I know there is also some good.

What else can you add to the list? Maybe you have a disability that made the lockdown life a blessing or perhaps the nature of the lockdown improved your life in some meaningful way. I would love to hear about it!