The COVID -19 pandemic has changed our lives as we know it – from our morning routine to our life goals and priorities. Many say the world has changed forever. But what will we learn from this period?
1- Work is anywhere
Consultant Patty McCord in her TED Talk explains lessons that both employers and employees have learned from the shift to “working from home”. She mentioned that the separation between family and work has become a balancing act. She also unfolds how companies creatively rethink the way of doing business.
2- The planet needs a chance to recover
The most significant upside to the pandemic was the tangible improvement in the environment. The air quality has improved dramatically. As industries, transportation and companies have closed down, it has brought a sudden drop of greenhouse gases emissions, reduction of water pollution and noise pollution. “History has shown us that in moments of crisis, society can truly transform,” says environmental educator Severn Cullis-Suzuki. She has a TED talk about urging all human beings to take actions on climate change reflect their words.
3- Appreciating nature and others
Extended lockdowns have taught us to re-evaluate our lives and to appreciate small pleasures which they might have previously overlooked. The results of an online survey during the COVID-19 lockdown demonstrated appreciation of everyday events and ability to identify positive outcomes which are associated with better psychological well being. As Mike Robbins in his thought-provoking TED talk speaks about “The Power of Appreciation” for individuals, teams, organizations and leaders from the positive psychology point of view.
4- Solitude is a skill
Unfortunately, a pandemic doesn’t allow us to take the stepladder of solitude as gradually as we might like. It’s not ideal, but even under these circumstances, we can build up to the skill of being alone. Solitude enables us to reconnect with nature, and through nature to achieve a profound bliss. Many artists insist that isolation is necessary for creative work. “I paint with my back to the world, the best things in life happen to you when you are alone.” said the painter Agnes Martin.
Psychologists found that detachment from society enables us to perceive its illusions. Nietzsche suggested that solitude can heal us from an overstimulating culture and reconnect us to ourselves.
We recommend you to see this TED talk from Saba Nassiri, a visual artist, who explains how loneliness can be your superpower.
In summary, we need to take the pandemic wake-up call and learn from it. Let’s carry these lessons with us into the future and use them to find ourselves and realize what truly matters and allows us to live our best life.
Written by: Niusha Tadrisi
Edited and Published by: Mina Haselian
