You’re going to say “nothing,” right? Well, not so fast.
Life during the pandemic changed in some really big ways. Unprecedented ways. No argument. Life as we knew it disappeared.
I, too, bemoaned the necessary restrictions as we tried to bring this virus under control, I, too, have missed interactions and activities that were part of my “normal” life.
But what if we looked at it a different way?
Lockdown, quarantine and restricted interactions provided opportunities to look within and decide what is really important to us.
And while it’s easy to paint the entire lockdown scenario as black, I think most of us have discovered that there’s at least one thing and maybe more things that we will miss about this time to ourselves.
My question today: what will you miss once the world opens up fully?
Did staying at home lead to a new discovery about yourself? Or something you’d like to carry forward into this new world of under-control Covid?
I’ll start:
My tribe is scattered all over the world. I have absolutely loved regular Zoom connections with those I love and many will continue into our new world. My husband used to talk to his brother three times a year: Christmas, and both birthdays. Now? We talk every single week. Zooms with distant family and friends will be part of our lives going forward.
I worked from home long before it was popular or accepted. Like, in the late 1990s. Because of the pandemic, I am now doing all my services online and I will continue to do that in the future. Forever. There is no difference in outcome–services are just as effective. I might also reduce the number of outside meetings I attend.
This time without so many outside distractions has also allowed me a better view of how I have not been as true to my own needs as I should be. Often, I have prioritized client desires over what’s best for me. From now on, I will give my own needs priority status.
How about you? What will you miss about life during the pandemic? Drop a note in the Comments below!
I have worked during lockdown in the UK, as a retail merchandiser so I visit several supermarkets a week. I have appreciated the calmer commute into work and the calmer atmosphere in the supermarkets I work in. I have liked the chance to read and to pursue my hobbies and take up new challenges- I started learning Portuguese online in March 2020 and have spent some time every day on the course. I hope to impress my Portuguese friends when I see them in person, hopefully in 2022. And I have enjoyed being at home and appreciating my garden 😊
There are so many things that I will miss from these days. Mostly, that all my boys came back home! I cannot wait to work from home when this school year is over for good. This is it for me in the regular classroom. It has just been too much. I would rather be home thinking of ways to help parents, that is where my teaching will lie.
Thanks for helping us to think about the bigger picture!
Yes, it’s easy to paint it all black, isn’t it?
Great minds, because I was thinking about this very thing today, as I closed down my work computer for the week (I work part time from home). I will not miss how life (for me, anyway) has slowed down. Too many of us had every moment of our lives programmed and stuffed full of activities and busyness. I had my plans for retirement (I retired a month into the NY lockdown) and suddenly – no senior center, no travel, no snowbirding this winter, no other things I had planned on doing during my busy retirement. So I’ve had time to read, to take e-books out of the New York City public library, blog, watch the birds in my neighborhood, and even watch snow fall without worrying about my morning commute. I will miss that. (although I am looking forward to some travel, can’t lie about that.)
The travel thing. Me, too. Oh how i miss it.
Wow. Carol you have really given me something to think about today. And you are right. There are things I will miss… I love the solitude. The time to myself.
Living, as I do, in the midst of my large family, it was rare for someone to not just ‘drop by’ for a chat. Much as I love them, it’s like throwing a huge rock in my pond. Creative flow disappears in the ripples and usually doesn’t return. I’ve loved having the ability to dictate when we meet on zoom. I know as soon as this ends, so will that.
And part of me (though I know I will rejoice at the opportunities to just be together), will miss it.
Maybe it’s time to set some boundaries. Gentle ones.
To be honest, nothing too drastic because I am a homebody so being home wasn’t a strain, I do however, miss and can’t wait to get back to in-person training!
Hope it’s relatively soon, A!
I learned to slow down. I love my morning writing and if there’s just one errand for the afternoon, that’s okay too. Wonderful topic. May steal it.
There are no original ideas, just derivatives. Can you wait till next week? LOL
I agree, Zoom is one of the few silver linings to Covid. I hope and plan to keep Zooming with my far-flung family long after this is over.
I know people who hate Zoom but I don’t get why–it really has been a silver lining.
If things get back to “normal,” what i will miss most, is the light traffic we’ve had this past year.
Yes, the Bay area the same.