6 Things COVID-19 has Taught Us Humans

In a matter of a couple of weeks, life as we knew it drastically changed. But in its wake, a tiny virus brought some great lessons for humanity.

1. Slow down

With no choice in the matter, life came to a screeching halt. There was no school to drop the kids at, no dentist or hairdresser appointments to run to. No soccer practice or hockey lessons. No birthday parties. No coffee dates. No dinner dates. No dates. No nothing. Nope. None.

“I’m so busy” became a foreign phrase that, strangely enough, many longed to complain about once again. Our time that used to be filled with errands, chores, responsibilities, commitments, and social gatherings, suddenly became vacant. No more shopping. No bigger, better, faster, stronger. The material world was stagnant.

And with this strange way of life, we didn’t know how to react. We had no similar experiences in the past to which we could reference for our reassurance and knowing of what to “do.” We simply had to “be” with ourselves, but we forgot how. There’s only so much Netflix and board games that one can play before they tire and long for something (anything) different and exciting.

Slowly, we began to learn to relax. Gradually, we realized that rushing around and being “busy” was slightly over-rated, and actually NOT a necessary part of our lives. Slowly, we began to slow down.

And we began to enjoy it.

Mostly.

2. Accept

The resulting rules and enforcements from this little Coronavirus were simply things that we could not change. We could not force the mall to open. We could not by-pass the line-up to buy milk and bread. We could not meet a friend for coffee in the closed coffee shop.

There are some things in life that we simply cannot change.

When we resist what is and complain about it, the result is struggle and strife.

It takes less energy to accept than to resist. As the weeks turned into months, slowly, we learned to accept that our novel Corona guest was not going away and that we couldn’t change the laws that were being made in the name of our safety.

We began to plan our days according to this new way of life. We began to accept this new way of living. Accepting something doesn’t necessarily mean that we like it. It merely means that we acknowledge that it is so. And that, regardless of our individual efforts, we cannot change the way it is.

We could not change what was happening in our cities and our world. And so most of us learned to accept, and we discovered that accepting feels better than resisting. Accepting the things that we cannot change brings a sense of ease in our bodies.

3. Cooperate

Our previous (inharmonious) way of existing with other humans was not working: each person for themselves was the motto. Hoarding was our initial reaction to this sudden threat to our existence: toilet paper and yeast of all things (I’m still baffled). The state of human consciousness was causing harm to individuals, humanity as a whole, and our home on earth.

If life were to have continued its pre-Corona trajectory, humanity and the earth would have been on the fast track to great catastrophe.

Slowly, we began to realize that we are all in this together. Slowly, we began to promote sharing, caring, and supporting one another. Slowly, we started lifting others who were struggling. Communities pulled together and cooperated like family.

4. Appreciate

If there’s one way to realize that you are grateful for something, it’s to have it taken away.

Our friend, Corona, brought with it threats to our health and safety. It brought fear. Isolation. Deprivation.

In the same breath, it brought an experiential appreciation for our health. For companionship and community. For friends and family. For holding and hugging. 

A genuine appreciation of these things was learned. Unfortunately, we learned the hard way. There was an easy way, but we weren’t ready for it, so Corona helped us.

Along with our personal realizations of appreciation, we began to think beyond our little worlds, and we gained an appreciation for medical care and a sanitary way of living. We appreciated medical workers, grocery store clerks, and the garbage collectors. We learned to appreciate the underpaid and underrecognized less-glamorous jobs.

5. Upgrade

With this virus’s potentially severe effects, we began to look at our health a little more closely. As with any foreign invader, the best defense is a healthy and robust immune system. Slowing down, accepting, cooperating, and appreciating all contribute to the harmony in our bodies and foster a natural strengthening of our immunity.

We began to examine the things we were putting in our bodies. We began to question if we were getting outside enough and if we were exercising enough. The number of people participating in outdoor activities reached record highs. Bicycles sold out of stores.

Slowly, we began to upgrade the way we treated our bodies.

Slowly, and in some cases, quite quickly, we also began to upgrade our creativity. By sheer necessity, we started to do things in new and imaginative ways.

We developed the ability to objectively observe and evaluate our behaviors. In other words, we upgraded our ability to be mindful and aware our ourselves.

Mindful awareness is the first step to self-mastery. What a skill to have gleaned from a little virus!

6. Balance

As things began to reopen, we reflected on the way life used to be. And some of us found comfort and enjoyment in the new routines that we had formed out of necessity. We appreciated at-home exercise routines that saved us time and fuel. We enjoyed the local shops that persevered and found creative ways to serve under restricted conditions.

We realized that life didn’t need to be so “busy” and that some things matter more than all the stuff we were up to before Corona came to visit us.

So somewhere between the extremes of busy and isolation, our pendulums nestled in the center: we found more balance and harmony in our new way of living.

Summary

My elderly aunt passed during the time of Corona, and I feel compassion and sorrow for those who have lost loved ones during this unprecedented time. But, unlike the majority who harbor fear, hatred, or regret for Corona having entered our lives, I am thankful.

I am thankful for the lessons we have learned and for the degree of awakening brought to the whole of humanity.

It is only through love and unity that we will overcome the tragedies in our current reality and create a world where illness, fear, inequality, and poverty are things of the past.

So, I thank Corona for helping us get started on this path to healing humanity. It’s up to us to take the baton and the beautiful lessons that we’ve learned and apply them to our everyday lives, as life slowly begins to return to a new normal.