28 Apr Testing Our Positive: Can Any Good Come From COVID-19?

Don’t get me wrong, life in a COVID-19 world is not my idea of fun. It’s uncertain, tiring and stressful. But there are some valuable lessons in this giant human experiment, and parts of our lockdown lives that aren’t so bad after all.

4 min read

Let me make one thing clear from the outset. I am not an eternal optimist. So much so that friends often describe my alter ego as ‘Negative Nelly’.

So when the COVID-19 pandemic kicked in, of course ‘Negative Nelly’ came out to play. I could no longer take my one-year-old to the playground, to blow off steam following our fierce battles over how much food she would decide to throw on the floor that day. I could no longer meet with other young mums and enjoy an adult conversation for a sacred 30 minutes. And don’t get me started on the 2am wake-ups, not because of the baby, but rather the anxious devil inside who insists that worrying about family health and the global economy is best done in the early hours.

But through it all, even ‘Negative Nelly’ can’t deny there are COVID-19 positives  that have opened up our eyes to what life could and should look like.

The Modern Family

My husband and I recently decided to move back to our home city to be closer to family. After five years interstate, we decided it was time to reconnect with our loved ones. But as soon as we arrived ‘home’, the competing factors of our larger friendship network and extended family made it hard to find any time to spend together, just us. Never did I imagine we would get the chance to rectify that on such a mammoth scale.

Take friends, work, sport, and entertainment out of the mix and all that is left, is to enjoy the company of immediate family. And you know what? I have loved every minute. I feel genuinely better connected to my partner and more present in the moments we do share together.

COVID Connection

There is something so incredibly simple about lockdown living. It reminds me of wintry days when it rains non-stop, and you suddenly have such low expectations about what you can achieve. You allow yourself to sit and binge-watch your favourite TV series instead of focusing on being productive.

This pandemic has persuaded us into a similar pace of life because we don’t have the usual people, jobs and distractions competing for our attention. The tricky part will be trying to resist temptation to fill-up our lives again when the pandemic is over. Sitting still can sometimes be the most important step to creativity that we can take.

The Great Outdoors

Who would have thought that telling people to stay inside would have the complete opposite effect? I don’t remember a time where I have seen more people use our bike paths, public parks and sidewalks. This pandemic has obviously struck a nerve about our health and fitness, plus we now have more time up our sleeves for exercise.

What else explains the empty shelves at major retailers like Target? They have been raided for sports equipment as people rush to set up home gyms or buy yoga mats for their morning YouTube pilates. Even though a deadly virus sparked it all, this has been one of the best parts about COVID-19 and I hope it  is one trend that remains well beyond the life of the pandemic.

Buon Appetito

Having spent five years living directly behind a pub, take-away food has long been a staple in our household. I have never been a great cook so it has always made sense to bestow that honour onto someone else. But given that leaving the house right now means being confronted with the prospect of someone sneezing on you, I’ve been doing a lot more cooking at home. And I’ve realised it’s quite cathartic.

Staying home has led many of us straight into the kitchen to use up our panic-bought supplies of flour and pasta. People are sharing their cooking and baking creations online as they rediscover the wonders of eating in.

Planet Pandemic

I’ve been humming The Eagles song ‘Life In The Fast Lane’ for weeks. Don’t judge me.

My first drive to the supermarket following lockdown was eerie with barely any other drivers on the road. But when the reality of having my own dedicated lane hit, I genuinely broke out in song.

People living in larger cities like London are suddenly finding they can get around in a car without yelling expletives the whole time. Not only that, but the skies are clearer and there have been sightings of wildlife in built-up city areas around the world.

There has already been a significant reduction in air pollution as industrial factories close their doors. Our planet is getting a well-earned reprieve from all the junk human activity spews into the atmosphere on a daily basis.

Good Eggs & Bad Eggs

Throughout this pandemic, we have definitely witnessed the best and worst our society has to offer. The selfish toilet paper hoarders took us to the lowest depths, but on the whole, people have risen to the occasion.

The overwhelming nature of this crisis should serve as a reminder of just how vulnerable we really are. There is nothing more humbling than truly recognising that.

Let’s just hope we don’t forget it as soon as the crisis is over.