What have we learned from the Coronavirus pandemic so far?

What have we learned from the Coronavirus pandemic so far?

Eugene Farrell, Chair, EAPA UK and Mental health lead, AXA PPP Healthcare

Coronavirus and the pandemic changed our world suddenly. Forced isolation and the collapse of normality brought uncertainty, fear and panic. But it’s also meant we’ve learned a great deal about ourselves in a short space of time.

Most of all, our lives have slowed down. Feeling comfortable with this new found space – where every minute is no longer filled with activity – is alien to many of us. We’ve had to learn how to make use of time as a newly abundant commodity. Doing nothing doesn’t come easy to many people, there’s always the temptation to fill the void, there’s frustration. Often without realising what’s happening, we’ve learnt to go with the new pace of life and make choices about what to do rather than activity ruling our time.

That’s meant some unexpected gifts: time with family; the chance to learn the value of togetherness. Yes we might sometimes feel we need space, but this time is strengthening our connections and tolerance and. A stronger sense of community has been created around us, locally and within each household, checking on neighbours, reaching out rather than standing back and letting others do things. We’ve seen how a sense of responsibility for each other and willingness to help without seeking return can be been rewarded with feelings of self purpose and meaning, and how that’s reward enough. Volunteering on a scale not seen for decades has created a new pride in doing good. Healthcare workers have a new status. We have an awareness of how many of those workers normally invisible to us, in the lowest paid roles, are doing jobs essential to keeping things moving.

Priorities have been transformed. Social isolation has fostered re-connections with family and friends as we realise the sheer importance of all the people in our lives, that we may have taken them for granted. It has taken the removal of something for us to realise how much it meant. And who would have thought we could teach a nation how to connect digitally in such a short time? Just being able to see the faces of loved ones, to hear them and just talk has taken on new value in our lives. We’re realising that we don’t need so much ‘stuff’ and are getting past the usual cravings and desires for material things. Needing to simplifying our lives has shown what’s essential and what’s not – as well as appreciating those things we no longer have access to.

Our daily routines have become more human and more healthy. What was once a privilege of those with plenty of free time, taking daily exercise has become a ritual part of our days. We’ve also learnt how we don’t have to join a gym or drive to a beauty spot – a simple walk or bike ride together, just being in each other’s company, is enough. There’s been time for introspection and reflection, to think about ourselves, listen to our thoughts, rather than being immersed in the usual noise of demands and distractions from everything external going on in the world. And that’s important for learning to be more comfortable in our own skin, with just being us in the here and now, without all the show we put up for others. Many of us have been spurred on to try many new things, like proudly showing our fresh baked bread or cakes, drawings and paintings. Giving things a go without the fear of failure and realising that we can let go of the fear of judgement has been obvious in social media posts, no longer looking to present a picture of having perfect lives.

Many of us have learned from the home-schooling experience: how much of a skill it is to keep up the motivation in our little (or sometimes quite big) darlings – a skill that teachers have mastered. Maybe we will see a new respect and understanding for all teachers and the fantastic work they do, and kids will have learnt to value the time they have with them.

How many of these powerful lessons will stay with us post-lockdown? That will be up to each one of us. But our greatest failure will have been to let all the potential positives of lockdown slip by, this time, this space. We must not look back and wish we’d done more, made more of it, that we’d seized every day.