Essentially, 2020 was the year of the pandemic, and Covid-19. ‘Pandemic’ has also been chosen as Word of the Year by Dictionary.com and Merriam-Webster, while the Cambridge Dictionary chose ‘quarantine’. In a sense, almost nothing happened this year, except that our vocabulary was generously littered with words such as lockdown, social distancing, and coronavirus - words we would not have understood so easily a year ago. Some pandemic additions to our vocabulary. There were definitely some harsh takeaways and necessary stops in our path this year.
So, what pandemic lessons were learned in 2020? Of course, we learned that facial masks are not just for masquerade balls and spas. And that saliva cannot travel beyond a distance of six feet or two meters or one meter depending on which part of the world you live in! But, were there some real life lessons in 2020 for us? Fortunately, there were! The beautiful thing about life is that we can always learn - from any situation. Here are 15 things I’ve learned in 2020.
15 life lessons learned from Covid-19
1. Health is the real wealth
The most important lesson learned in life in 2020 was that health is a priority, not a privilege. Covid-19 did not spare the young or the old, rich or the poor, as it went globe-trotting. It was your immunity levels rather than age or class that was your best bet. People avoided visiting hospitals as they put up with niggling pains, postponed routine check-ups, and switched to online consultations. It was a much-needed wake-up call to the world to walk the healthy line.
2. Eating right is a priority
Our food has possibly never been as clean as it was in 2020 as we watered, salted, and peppered it to free it of germs and viruses. Some of us went that extra mile cleaning it with turmeric powder and potassium permanganate.
After a long time, many of us knew the ingredients that went into our system, courtesy of home-cooked meals. As eating out became taboo, and fraught with unknown dangers, most people experimented with their ‘kitchen sets’. Discovering their hitherto unknown culinary skills! And the results were there to see - we all felt healthier and happier for it.
3. Hygiene and sanitation are paramount
Old traditions of washing were revived this year. Traditionally, we all used to wash and scrub after an outdoors’ visit. However, this practice was abandoned for lack of time in recent times as we grabbed tissues and performed a half-hearted dust-off. Sanitization has now staged a big comeback as washing hands, feet, face, and all exposed parts have become the norm. Many people take a bath after coming home. Hygiene definitely went up a notch this year. Touche!
4. Nature is supreme
Nature showed us who’s boss in 2020. Bushfires in Australia, forest fires in California, and of course, the contagious virus that has literally grabbed us by the throat. Humankind cannot fathom the vastness, depths, heights, and penetration of Mother Nature. She has shown us snippets of her strength, and mankind has had to beat a very hasty and indefinite retreat. A not-so-subtle lesson to respect the ground we walk on.
5. Be prepared - for anything
Life is short and uncertain. We felt it forcefully with basketball legend Kobe Bryant’s tragic death. Then again, the pandemic also inevitably taught us this. All you can do at times is to take deep breaths and brace yourself to face whatever comes your way.
6. The best laid-out plans can fail
Many of us made plans to travel, pass exams, compete in tournaments and competitions, visit relatives, give stage performances etc, etc. And almost all of these plans have had to bite the dust as Covid-19 put paid to all of it. Who could have imagined a year of canceled life? 2020 has been the most compelling argument for Plan B. Keep your options open.
7. Make each moment count
In light of the uncertainty that coronavirus has thrown our way, appreciating each moment has never been so important. And staying in the present has also never been as appealing as it is now as we stare at a bleak and uncertain future. 2020 life lesson#7: Don’t take anything for granted. Remember to observe and be in every experience - happy and sad, so you fully appreciate your experiences.
8. Realize who and what is important in life
If you didn’t invite some people to your wedding because of the limit on the number of guests allowed, know that you probably already know who is most important in your life. It was a year that made you realize who and what is important in life. Family and close friends became even more precious than before, as travel restrictions kept loved ones apart. Make sure you make time for them and cherish them. Also, eliminate the unnecessary activities of life such as indiscriminate surfing, mindless gossip over phones, and anything else you would not write home about.
9. Be positive
‘Positive’ took on a completely different connotation this year. While we all dreaded its association with us (Covid-19!), there has never been a more relevant time for keeping our outlook positive in life. As we watched videos and listened to accounts of people suffering the worst crisis in this generation’s history, it was human hope that survived and thrived through it all.
10. Silence is golden
Many of us spent a lot of time alone this year. The wonderful lesson is that being alone ≠ being lonely. Solitude is therapeutic. Find your quiet corner, away from the noise. In this quietude, you will meet your real self, and discover joy, peace, and harmony. Being confined to home can be the blessing you were hoping for.
11. Working from & for home is overrated
We liked it when it meant waking up late and escaping traffic jams but when the lines between working from and for home got blurry and the weekend started looking dangerously similar to weekdays, it was not such a welcome thing after all. The long phone calls replacing the physical discussions, and the absence of the end of the workday have made many people crave the physical office. An important experiment was tested out this year as we had all wondered whether working from home would be the ultimate solution for the work-life balance conundrum. The result: for work-life balance to materialize, clear lines must be drawn between the office and home.
12. We are much more resilient than we knew
Man is a social animal. But we spent weeks in isolation. A few months ago, we couldn’t survive without ordering outside food at least once a week. Yet, we managed to eat in for months at a stretch. If nothing else, the pandemic has displayed our inner resilience. Our ability to adapt to whatever situation we are placed in.
13. Understand and respect people’s place in the scheme of things
With many supply chains disrupted, we had greater respect for those who were responsible for our daily needs - farmers, transporters, retailers and wholesalers, and suppliers. Strategic links we barely spared a thought for a few months ago. Now, we know - they saved us from scarcity and deprivation.
14. Diversified skill sets are a boon
Many people lost their jobs in 2020. Forcing them to rethink their career paths. The lesson in it for them is that varied skillsets help widen their options for re-employment. Career backup plans have never been more attractive. It is definitely not a mistake to pick up a trick or trade or two aside from your main line of work.
15. Technology saved our mental health
Whether it was the Zoom calls or Netflix, online consultations or video conferencing at work, technology really had our back this pandemic. Ensuring help was a few buttons away, enabling us to learn and earn so we didn’t lose our minds to the nothingness that the year became, entertaining us with novelties and discoveries at a time when nothing new or interesting happened.
Gratitude, positivity, wellness, respect, awareness, silence - which of these life lessons touched your heart the most? Of all these lessons, silence appealed most to me. Retreating to my inner space with my solitary walks and morning meditations helped me stay sane in these long months of confinement and restriction. If you are interested in exploring your inner self, the Online Meditation & Breath Workshop can guide you towards improved health, uninhibited joy, and blissful peace.
Do you want to share a different life lesson? We’d love to hear from you. Leave your comments @artofliving
Written by: Anusha Chellappa
(Based on inputs from Dr. Prema Seshadri, Faculty, Art of Living)
